


The Robot Who Could Feel Pain

by slightly_salty_ace



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Action & Romance, Angst, Avengers Family, Bucky Barnes Is a Good Bro, Bucky Barnes is learning to live with the Avengers, Clint likes to tease Steve for having a crush on a robot, Conspiracy, Drama, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Ultron, Getting Together, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Porn, Identity Reveal, M/M, Most of Tony's body got blown up and replaced with machinery, Murder, Mutual Pining, Non-Consensual Body Modification, Prosthetics, Protective Avengers, Slow Burn, Stony - Freeform, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony is losing himself behind the mask, Tony pretends to be dead so he can be Iron Man in peace, cyborg tony, everyone is a mess, questioning what makes us human, someone help these boys, takes place right before age of ultron
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-22
Updated: 2017-11-02
Packaged: 2019-01-04 00:03:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 80,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12157524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slightly_salty_ace/pseuds/slightly_salty_ace
Summary: In which Tony leaves Afghanistan more machine than human.  Or rather, Iron Man leaves Afghanistan. To the world, Tony Stark is dead.Or...Steve is convinced that Iron Man is just a robot with sass because the future is a strange place and he's stopped questioning things.But when someone from Tony Stark's past returns, putting Iron Man in danger, Steve is forced to start asking questions. Specifically questions about his feelings towards a certain red and gold robot.





	1. The Night The Tower Fell

A man turns into a giant green rage monster when he is upset?

Strange. But Steve rolls with it.

Flying aircraft carrier?

Strange as well. But it is the future after all. Howard Stark must have something to do with that one.

A man calling himself a god and waving a magic stick?

Not unlike the Red Skull. Steve handles this revelation the best.

Alien army invading New York?

Also strange. But Steve can go with it. He's good at going with the flow.

The man fighting beside him turning out to be an actual robot?

That one takes Steve a bit longer to wrap his head around. Why does the robot act so human? Of course, if Iron Man's creator could build such an advanced piece of machinery, then, of course, they could make his mannerism just as advanced. But who thought it was a good idea to give a robot attitude? The amount of sass Iron Man gave Steve on a daily basis was baffling. According to Nick Fury, Iron Man's creator was Tony Stark, who had died a few years ago. Fury also said that Stark had a bad sense of humor, one that he had passed on to his robotic child.

Tony Stark.

Steve wished he had been able to meet the son of his friend. He wondered if he was anything like Howard. He had tried asking Iron Man about Tony once.

"I only knew him for a short time. He built me in a cave. And then he was executed," Iron Man had said.

"Why did he build you?" Steve had asked.

"He knew he was going to die. Mr. Stark made a lot of mistakes in his life. And he was trying to make up for all of them by creating me. He told me my purpose is to make the world a better place." Iron Man had responded.

Steve hadn't asked any more questions after that.

After the battle of New York, the Avengers had moved into what had once been Stark Tower. Now dubbed "Avengers Tower". That had been a year ago. The entire team had become very close in that short time. Nothing like an alien invasion to bring people together. Natasha and Clint were still very private individuals, but they were doing their best. Bruce was a quiet, but kind. He liked to cook dinner for everyone. Thor was still getting used to living on Midgard and had blown up three microwaves and two toasters in the past month alone. He was trying his best.

Iron Man was a strange being. Sometimes Steve forgot that there was no actual person under that metallic armor. Just clumps of wires and oils. Steve didn't like to think about Iron Man like that, though. He liked to think that there really was a person in there. Iron Man acted like a real person. Most of the time. He would often spend time with the team just like a normal person. Watching movies, and playing board games. Iron Man would assist Bruce in the labs, and spend his free time reading books. He joined them in their training sessions.

There was another unusual thing about the Iron Avenger. He experienced emotions. Real emotions. The emotions seemed to be limited to joy, anger, and fear, but they were emotions none the less.

The rest of the team always had questions for Iron Man. Sometimes invasive ones. Clint once asked him if he had to plug himself into the wall at night. Iron Man had slapped him upside the head for that.

Steve didn't ask any more questions. This was the future after all. Why should he be so surprised at a robot who was capable of laughter?

What did surprise him, was the fact that he cared so deeply for a robot.

* * *

  
It had been six years since Tony Stark "died". Six years he had been living as half a human. The first three years had been difficult, but he managed. He was using his new body to help people, and that gave him peace of mind. Tony knew it didn't make up for all his past mistakes, but it was a start. It wasn't until the fourth year rolled around that the loneliness officially set in. Sure, he had Pepper. And Rhodey. And Happy. Those three did their best to be there for Tony, but there was only so much they could do. Tony saw Pepper the most. He had left the company to her in his will, and now she was using it to fund the Avengers. Rhodey would call him every once in awhile, make sure he was still breathing, and let him know how the War Machine armor was fairing. He clearly wanted to spend more time with Tony, but his military job wouldn't allow for it. Happy was head of security at Avengers tower and kept a close eye on Tony. Or as close as he could. Tony had a lot of secret rooms in the tower, allowing him to function outside of his suit without the others noticing. Happy knew about the entrance to Tony's secret maze but wasn't allowed inside. 

Tony kept a lot of secrets these days.

Tony entered his bedroom, which was on a completely separate floor than the rest of the team. He shed his armor and limped over to his bed. Walking without his suit was difficult, but he managed alright. It was easier when he wasn't so tired. He had just returned from a rather long mission with his team and was ready to sleep for the next week.

Tony fell face first onto the bed with a grunt. He rolled onto his back and brushed his non-prosthetic hand through his black hair, and down the left side of his face. He refused to touch the right side. The side that was...not him. He had made a facial prosthetic to hide the mess of wires and metal plates that had replaced half of his face. But there was no hiding the glowing blue orb that had been implanted in his eye socket. Of all the things Tony was forced to learn to live with, the artificial eye had taken the longest to get used to. The eye wasn't faulty. He could see just fine with it. He did design it, after all. It was the way he now experienced color that caused problems. Sometimes, he saw everything in shades of blue. Sometimes he saw normal colors. Sometimes his two different eyes couldn't get along and he saw the world in a mess of saturated blues and grays.

"People are looking for you," Pepper leaned in the doorway, arms crossed over her chest. Of course, she knew how to get into Tony's secret room. It had been necessary early on when he was still recovering and needed someone to bring him food and medication.

"Too bad. My stumps hurt." Tony rolled back onto his stomach.

"Please stop referring to your legs like that," Pepper shifted around uncomfortably.

"Absolutely not. My stumps-"

"Stop. The Avengers are looking for you."

"You said that. Why? Tell them I'm re-charging," Tony didn't move.

Pepper stormed over and wrestled Tony off the bed. "You lost an arm. Again. They're worried."

Tony suddenly burst out laughing. His prosthetic arm had indeed been blown off during the battle, but he wasn't going to bother fixing it until after he got some rest.

"This isn't funny," Pepper gave him a disapproving look.

"Yes, it is. They're fretting over a robot. A robot, Pepper!"

"No, they're fretting over their teammate. Who also happens to be their close friend." Pepper smacked the back of his head. Tony had always been self-destructive, but losing half his body in Afghanistan made him even more so. Pepper just counter her lucky stars that he hadn't sustained any serious injuries since then. Just damaging his prosthetics here and there.

"I wonder if they're this worried about the toaster."

"Tony."

"What?"

"I know you don't see yourself as a person anymore. But they do. Even if they don't know the truth, they still treat you like a human being. They care about you. And you need to stop worrying them all half to death."

"I'll consider it," Tony didn't believe her. Who would care that much about a robot? About him? Ridiculous.

After letting his team know he was alright, Tony spent the next week avoiding everyone. He stayed in his workshop mostly. A hidden room in the tower where he could exist outside of his armor and work in peace. As Tony got to work on building a new arm, his mind wandered to when the Avengers first assembled two years ago.

_"How about you take that armor off and we go a few rounds?" Steve had sneered at him. Bruce was watching them nervously._

_"It's a little difficult to take off, but sure," Tony decided to humor the captain and unlatched the both the gauntlet and his prosthetic at the elbow. He tossed the arm onto the nearest tabletop._

_"What the...?" Steve blinked._

_"He's a robot," Bruce blurted out._

_"What?!" Steve gasped. "Take off the helmet!" He demanded, jabbing Tony in the chest._

_"Can't. My artificial brain is attached to it," Tony lied, tapping his knuckles against his temple. "Like Doctor Banner said, I'm a robot. Removing my armor would be like you removing your skin. I can't feel pain like you can, but it still wouldn't be very pleasant." Tony retrieved his arm and popped it back into place. He wiggled his metal fingers, making sure everything was aligned correctly. The look on Steve's face was just too perfect, and Tony couldn't help but laugh._

_Steve took several steps back, startled by the sound. "B-but, you...you sound so...human. And you-"_

_"I wasn't the first artificial intelligence Mr. Stark created. He used his own voice to program mine. Still want to go a few rounds, old man?"_

_Steve leaned against the table Bruce was working at, shaking his head slowly. "A lot of things have surprised me about the future. But for some reason, a sarcastic robot doesn't surprise me all that much."_

_"You look pretty surprised to me."_

_Steve shook himself, regaining his composure._

_"You understand emotions really well, for someone who isn't human," Bruce commented._

_"I do my best."_

_"Why did Fury assign a robot to this team? Are robots that common nowadays?" Steve was speaking to Bruce._

_"What? No, no. Well, a lot of people have Roombas, little robots that can vacuum their floors and what not, but Iron Man is unique. I don't think I've ever seen anything so advanced." Bruce explained. "And I don't know why he's on the team."_

_"Can we trust a robot?" Steve frowned. Tony also frowned, not liking how Steve was talking as if Iron Man wasn't standing right next to him. "I mean, isn't a machine that can think for itself dangerous? What if it decides to-"_

_"He!" Tony blurted out._

_"Excuse me?" Steve blinked._

_"I'm a man. Don't call me an 'it'." Tony snapped. "I was built to help people. I can't go against my programming, even if I wanted to. I'm on your side whether you trust me or not."_

_Steve held his glare for a solid minute before a large explosion rocked the Helicarier, and all hell broke loose_.

Steve hadn't been all that friendly to Iron Man after that. But then Tony carried that nuke through the wormhole, and suddenly Steve was all friendly smiles and pats on the back. Apparently, he had proven himself to Steve. From there they had developed a strong friendship.

Tony made the final adjustments to his new arm and attached it to the socket.

* * *

  
"I got your six, Cap!" Iron Man called over the comms. Steve didn't bother looking up. He didn't need to. He could hear the roar of the robot's rocket boots overhead. A repulsor blast, followed by a small explosion and several cries of pain. Steve did look back at that, although he wasn't too surprised to see the truck that had been tailing him blown to bits.

Steve turned his attention back to the forest before him. His motorcycle kicked up mud as he sped through the trees. The rain wasn't coming down as heavy as it had been when they first raided the Hydra facility, but it was still coming down fairly hard. Steve kept his head low, allowing the water to easily roll of his cowl. In the distance, he could hear the Hulk roaring. The Hydra agents had put up more of a fight than expected, so the Avengers had to break out the big guns.

"We got what we came here for. Let's blow this popsicle stand!" Bucky called, rolling up beside the Captain on his own motorcycle. The Winter Soldier was the newest Avenger, having joined only two months ago. This was his first mission.

"Working on it!" Steve responded.

Iron Man suddenly blasted ahead of the two super soldiers, crashing through the treetops and scattering branches and leaves everywhere. "I'm picking up some weird signatures. I'm going to check them out."

"What kind of weird?"

"I'll let you know when I figure it out, Bucky-boy."

"Don't call me that," Bucky groaned.

"Sure thing, Bucky-boy."

Steve caught a glimpse of Iron Man ducking low to the ground, right before he vanished into the hillside. "Alright, Avengers. Let's wrap this up!"

* * *

  
"Any word from the tin man?" Sam leaned out of the Quinjet. His goggles were pushed up to his hairline, his mechanical wings folded neatly behind him. The battle had ended, but Iron Man was still underground, investigating an elaborate system of caves. He had found a few Hydra agents down there, as well as some suspicious tech. He managed to report his findings to the team right before his comm cut out.

"No. We give him five more minutes. Bucky and I will go down there if there's still no word." Steve reported.

"Well, come back inside until then." Sam motioned him in. The Captain was standing a bit away from the jet, using his shield as an umbrella. Steve was about to do as suggested when he heard the roar of repulsors. His face lit up at the sight of the Avengers' beloved robot flying towards them.

Iron Man landed next to Steve with a thud.

"Good to see you in one piece," Steve clapped him on the shoulder. "What happened down there?"

"Bad stuff," was all Iron Man said.

"Care to elaborate?"

"No."

Steve sighed. Sometimes working with Iron Man could be a real pain. Unlike Jarvis, Iron Man could disobey orders. And lie. "Was there anything down there that could pose a threat?"

"There was. I took care of it," Iron Man said bluntly. The rain rolled down his expressionless face. In the dim light, Iron Man's glowing blue eyes looked downright threatening. The metal Avenger was unusually still, his fists balled at his sides. Iron Man was always moving in some way, using his body language to make up for his lack of facial expressions. Seeing him so still was unsettling.

"Are you alright?" Steve frowned.

"Are you?"

"don't change the subject."

"I didn't. We're still talking about injuries. Although, that's not a very fun topic. Let's talk about something else. Like the fact that Thor blew up the toaster. Again. Someone needs to talk some sense into that man before my wires snap. I swear-"

"Iron Man," Steve warned as he circled around him, checking for any damage. Iron Man moved his head to follow Steve's movements but otherwise remained still.

"I'm fine, Cap. Really," Iron Man said. "Just a bit shaken up."

"By what? Iron Man, what happened down there?"

"Human Experimentation." Iron Man's voice was barely audible. He was facing Steve, but Steve could tell his eyes weren't focused on him. "But, like I said. I took care of it. We should go."

* * *

  
Tony paced his lab, wringing his hands anxiously.

"Sir, I believe you are having a panic attack. Would you like me to call Ms. Potts?" Jarvis asked.

"No, no, no. I-I got this...I got this." Tony dropped onto the couch, where he had been living for the past two days. What he had seen in those caves was still fresh in his mind. He hadn't been able to save the person the Hydra agents were experimenting on. And he hated himself for it. Part of him wished he hadn't gone down there. Then he wouldn't have seen what they had done to that person. He wasn't even sure what gender they had been. Most of their body had been replaced with robotic parts.

Just like Tony.

But it was worse.

So much worse.

The person was already dead when Iron Man found them.

Tony started hyperventilating.

After several very long hours of panicking, Tony was able to calm down enough to slip back into his armor. He didn't want to be alone right now. And so, he left his secret workshop to go find the one person who never failed to make him feel better.

Steve.

* * *

  
"Who are you drawing?" Iron Man leaned over the back of the couch, eyeing the sketchbook in Steve's hands. He was drawing a man sitting at a workbench, fiddling with a clump of wires. The man had dark, unkempt hair, and slim fitting clothes, with one of his shoes untied.

"You," Steve smiled. The pencil squeaked when he darkened the jawline. Tony blinked. He was a bit shocked to see just how close Steve had gotten to the real deal. Was his personality that obvious? 

"You gave me a human face," Iron Man tilted his head. "And body?"

"I was imagining what you would look like if you had one." Steve used a blue pencil to color in the eyes. No pupils, just glowing blue orbs. Tony chuckled. Steve had gotten that little detail half right. "I actually based you off Tony Stark. Hope you don't mind."

"Nah, it's cool. But if you're going to do that then you should give me facial hair." Tony requested.

Steve drew a thin, curly mustache.

"Not like that."

"Beggars can't be choosers," Steve tapped Iron Man's cheek with the pencil.

"Can I draw you?" Tony took a seat next to him.

Steve turned to a clean page and handed it over, "go for it."

Tony fumbled with the pencil. The gauntlets always made grasping small objects difficult. Steve leaned against Iron Man, head resting on his shoulder as he watched the other man draw. Tony drew his vision of Steve as a robot. The design was a bit like his own, but bulkier and with a patriotic theme. His drawing skills were nowhere as good as Steve's, and it showed. He drew a mustache on the faceplate and handed the sketchbook back to Steve. "Now we have matching facial hair."

Steve laughed.

"Well, look who it is!" Bucky's metal hand clanged against Tony's helmet. He plopped down on the other side of Steve. Tony wasn't all that surprised to see the assasin. Bucky was still getting used to living with so many people and hardly left Steve's side. "Where have you been?"

"I haven't _been_ anywhere," Tony tilted his head.

"Okay, I know this tower is fucking huge...but where do you go? How do you just disappear for days on end?" Bucky waved a hand in the air.

"I have my own private space," Tony said, "where I can tinker with things in peace."

"Huh," Bucky leaned back, hands behind his head. "What do you tinker with?"

"Myself," Tony snickered.

"Is that supposed to be a masturbation joke? Because I don't know how I feel about making masturbation jokes with robots," Bucky made a face. "Ow! Steve! Don't kick me!"

Iron Man laughed. "I have to upgrade myself every once in awhile. And fix any battle damage. I'm also the one in charge of upgrading the gear for all you sad lumps of flesh-" Steve kicked Iron Man in the shin. "Stop kicking people! It's rude. As I was saying. I make the gear. I'm working on some new arrows for Clint right now."

"Huh," Bucky said again, nodding slowly. Bucky was still recovering from his time as a brainwashed hydra soldier and didn't talk much. But he always had a lot to say when he did feel like talking. He also had a lot of questions. Mostly about modern life. But also about how Iron Man functioned. Tony didn't mind. He liked Bucky. The softly spoken soldier was friendly and level-headed. But he also possessed enough sass to rival both Tony and Sam.

Bucky also had a prosthetic arm.

That fact had brought the two closer, even if Bucky didn't know it. Just knowing someone with shared life experience put Tony's mind at ease.

"Stevie, you should draw me next," Bucky suggested, tapping Steve's sketchbook.

"Okay, pick a pose," Steve smiled.

Bucky moved over to the other couch and lay down on his back, one leg thrown over the back of the couch and one hand behind his head. "How's this?"

"Very...um..." Steve's face was red. "Fine. That's fine. Hold still."

* * *

 Metal clanged against metal. Bucky grunted and jumped back.

"Slow," Iron Man darted forward, kneeing him in the gut. Bucky gasped in pain but quickly recovered himself. He grabbed Iron Man by the head and flipped him onto his back. Even with the thick foam mat, a heavy thud still echoed throughout the training room. Iron Man ignited his boots for a split second, just long enough for him to shoot out of Bucky's grasp.

"I think I'm done for today," Bucky sat back on his haunches.

"We've only been sparring for an hour." Tony got to his feet and twisted his head from side to side. He knew he was going to have a sore neck in the morning and wasn't looking forward to it.

"I said I'm done," Bucky said firmly.

"Okay," Iron Man nodded once. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"No, no, I just have a lot on my mind. Can't focus too much," Bucky admitted, giving Tony a look he couldn't quite read.

"I hope this isn't you trying to initiate a heart to heart because I'm definitely not the person for that," Tony held up his hands.

"I know," Bucky chuckled. "Kinda hard to have a heart to heart with someone who doesn't have one." Tony flinched at his word choice. Bucky didn't notice and went on, "I'm not very good with feelings anyway." He stood up and stretched. He swung his metal around in a big circle, loosening up the shoulder joint. "Can I ask you something, though?"

"No. But I have a feeling you're going to ask anyway." Tony crossed his arms.

"Do you ever feel like you shouldn't be here?" Bucky asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean...look, this isn't my time. Not my _century._ " Bucky shook his head, "And I don't know if I should be apart of this team. You guys are like a family. A family that I don't really have a place in. I'm trying my best to socialize. Cause that's what Steve wants. He wants me to be friends with everyone like he is. And I want that too. But I'm bad at socializing and everyone here is kinda intimidating," Bucky's eyes flicked around the room nervously. "And like I said, you guys were already a family long before I got here. Even if I do get closer to everyone, it still won't be the same."

Tony nodded slowly. "I understand. I don't think I'll ever be a true member of their family either."

"You?" Bucky actually laughed at that. "Oh come on, they adore you."

"In the same way they would adore a pet. Trust me, they don't ever let me forget I'm not human. That I'm not _one_ of them." Tony took a deep breath, although the sound didn't quite make it through the helmet. "You and I are both outcasts, buddy."

"Guess we are. We'll just have to be our own little family." Bucky clapped his metal hand on Iron Man's shoulder. "You know what? You used to scare me the most. But you're just a big softy."

"Don't push it, kid. I could snap your neck."

"But you won't."

"I won't," Tony agreed. He slipped his prosthetic hand under Bucky's and pushed it back a bit. He stared at their hands, metal palms resting against one another. "It's good to know there's someone in this fucked up world that understands me."

"Same," Bucky smiled.

Steve didn't know what had gone down in the training room that day, but the next day Bucky was acting a bit more confident. He was branching out and talking more with the others. Especially Iron Man. A few days later Steve had found the two in the library, enthusiastically discussing rock music. He had seen Iron Man act this way before. If anyone even uttered the word 'science' around him, the bot would go on hour long tangents. But Steve had never seen Bucky this excited to have a conversation. Or this happy. Not since before the war.

* * *

"He needs a name."

"For the last time, Clint. Iron Man is not a pet. You can't just-"

"We should call him Sparky," Clint smirked. Natasha hit him over the back of the head. "How about Robert? He looks like a Robert."

"My name is Iron Man, you ignorant swine," Iron Man chose that moment to make his presence known. His metal feet clinking on the floor as he stormed over to the archer. Most of the team had gathered in the kitchen for dinner. Tony hadn't been planning to stick around, but then he heard his name and decided otherwise.

"Ah! Man of Iron! Glad you could join us for dinner!" Thor clapped him on the back, a big friendly grin plastered on his face.

"I'm not joining you. I'm just here to yell at Clint." 

"Okay, but isn't 'Iron Man' a little weird?" Clint went on, waving a hand in the air. "I mean, he goes on and on about wanted to be treated like a normal person, so shouldn't he have a normal person name?"

"Stop talking about me like I'm not here," Tony hissed. Clint looked a bit taken aback by the spite in his tone.

"He can call himself whatever he wants. It's not up to you, Clint," Steve said firmly. He gave Iron Man an apologetic look, "he does have a point though. Are you sure you want to keep going by Iron Man? It's no big deal if you want us to call you something else."

"No. I'm sticking with the name Mr. Stark gave me. And that's final."

* * *

Steve didn't question anything when Iron Man took his hand and guided him through a maze of hidden hallways. They went down a flight of steps, and Iron Man punched a command into a virtual keypad on a glass wall. The doors slid open with a whoosh of air.

"So this is where you go," Steve looked around the workshop in awe. Robots big and small moved around the area on their own, whirring and beeping at Steve as some form of welcome. As soon as Iron Man stepped into the shop, all of the lights flicked on. Holographic screens appeared all over the place. All in all, the workshop was a downright mess. Tools littered the various workbenches. Mechanical parts were scattered everywhere. There was a pile of tangled wires in one corner. A large robot rolled over to Steve, waving its single giant arm. It made a loud beeping noise and snapped its claw at Steve. "I don't think it likes me."

"That's Dumm-E. He's saying hello. He's an idiot, but he's friendly. Don't mind him," Iron Man pat Dumm-E's arm as he walked past.

"Did you build him?" Steve asked, not taking his eyes of the bot.

"No. Mr. Stark did. I built all the other ones, though," Iron Man explained. "They're like my children."

Steve nodded, looking around at all the bots in awe. He spotted an Iron Man helmet one of the tables and picked it up. He realized it was the one he had worn when they first met. Iron Man had been making small changed to his armor since then. His overall build was a lot more compact now. It was sleeker, the metal plates coming together seamlessly. Steve flipped the helmet over, expecting it to look like the inside of a computer. But it didn't. It was empty. Just a helmet. "Huh," Steve set it back down.

Iron Man had taken a seat at one of the workbenches, his back to Steve.

"So...why bring me here?" Steve leaned against the bench Iron Man was at.

"I wanted you to know this place exists," Iron Man shrugged.

"What for?"

"Because you're my friend and you should know. Also, it gets lonely down here sometimes." He added the last bit in a whisper. "Also, I..."

"...yes?"

"I have a feeling something bad is about to happen. Something really bad," Iron Man put down the screwdriver he had been holding. "If something happens to me when we're out on the field-"

"We won't let anything bad happen to you," Steve assured him.

"You can't control everything. I trust you, Steve. I trust you to bring my body back here and help me get patched up if something does happen." Iron Man looked up at him, faceplate as unreadable as ever.

"I don't know how much help I would be. I still can't figure out my email. But I'll do what I can, Shellhead." Steve tapped his knuckles on Iron Man's helmet in an affectionate way.

"Thanks, Winghead."

* * *

Steve jolted awake in a cold sweat, a scream tearing from his throat. Images of the war still flashing before his eyes. Images of good men, of friends, being shot. Blown to bits. Images of Bucky falling. The feeling of the ice-cold water that had engulfed Steve when he crashed the plane into-

"Cap!" Equally cold hands pressed against his shoulders, trying to push him back down. He hadn't realized he had been sitting up until that moment. A pair of bright blue eyes hovered over him. The grip on his shoulders tightened. "Steve, calm down, you need to breathe!"

"No!" Steve threw his fists wildly. One of them collided with something very solid. The pain that flared up in his knuckles forced him to fully wake up. "Ow...Iron Man?" He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and blinked a few times.

"The one and only. Jarvis, can you get the lights? Thanks." Steve shielded his eyes from the sudden bright light. Iron Man was sitting on the edge of his bed, hands still clasped on Steve's shoulders. Iron Man spoke again, "Jarvis said you were in distress. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, just a nightmare," Steve whispered.

Iron Man's grip on his shoulders relaxed, his hands sliding down to hold Steve's. Steve let his forehead rest against Iron Man's.

"You look like shit."

"Thanks," Steve snorted.

There was a long silence before Iron Man spoke again.

"Anything I can do for you, big guy?"

"Can you...nevermind." Steve looked away.

"What?"

"Stay with me? Just until I fall back asleep. Usually, I go to Bucky when I have nightmares, but I don't want to bother him and...yeah."

"Okay." Iron Man shifted around so that he was fully on the bed, leaning against the headboard. Steve moved over to give him room. Iron Man made Jarvis turn the lights back off. "Try to get some rest, Cap. I'll stand guard."

"Thank you," Steve laid back down. He didn't think he would be able to get to sleep after that. But Iron Man's presence turned out to be exactly what he needed. The soft blue glow from the robot's eyes and chest lulled him into a peaceful sleep. The soldier settled in close to Iron Man's thigh, one arm draped over the robot's knee.

Iron Man pulled the blankets up over Steve's still form. He hesitated before brushing a hand through his ruffled blonde hair. "Goodnight." Iron Man whispered.

The next morning Steve awoke to the feeling of cold metal pressed against his face. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, a little surprised to see that Iron Man was still sitting with him. The robot must have powered down at some point. His eyes had switched off, and his chin was resting against his chest.

"Morning," Iron Man's voice startled Steve, causing him to fall out of the bed. Steve poked his head up and found that Iron Man's eyes had flicked back on. "Sleep alright?"

"I did, thank you." Steve gave him a warm smile.

* * *

"Okay, but I'm not the one who wants to bone a robot!" Clint shot back, jabbing Steve in the chest.

"Bone?" Steve blinked in confusion. Bucky knew what Clint meant and was doubled over in laughter.

"Thanks for that mental image, Clint!" Bucky snickered. A big smile spread across Clint's face. The three had been arguing over something petty. Steve had taken a shot at Clint's morals, and Clint went in for the kill. "Now that you say that, I can totally see it!"

"I know right?" Clint threw an arm around Bucky's shoulders. "Those two are practically joined at the hip! Steve, you are one kinky son of a bitch!"

"Excuse me?" Steve was even more confused at this point.

"Don't worry, Stevie, we're not judging! We just didn't expect it, is all," Bucky put his arm around Steve's shoulders, pulling both the archer and his oldest friend close.

"Expecting what? What are you guys talking about?"

"About the fact that you're head over heels for Iron Man."

Steve instantly jerked away from his friend. "I-I am not! Absolutely not! I would never have relations with a teammate, that would be extremely unprofessional!"

"So the fact that he's a robot doesn't bother you? You're not making a move because he's your teammate? Wow," Clint giggled.

"Well, that too. Iron Man is a good friend of mine, but like you said. He's just a robot. A relationship just isn't possible."

"What if he loves you back?" Bucky tilted his head.

"I don't love him," Steve crossed his arms. "Not like that."

"Okay, but what if you did? And he loved you back?"

"It wouldn't be real," Steve shook his head. "All of Iron Man's emotions are fake. Computer generated. Anyone, including himself, could reprogram him to feel whatever."

"I don't know, I think he fancies you quite a bit, regardless of programming." Bucky ruffled Steve's hair.

"Doesn't matter. He's a robot. Sure, he can think for himself, but he doesn't have an ounce of humanity in him. I could never love someone like him."

Clint frowned, "just cause he doesn't have skin doesn't make him any less human. It's all about what's up here, right?" He tapped his own temple with his index finger.

Steve sighed, "I suppose you're right. But I'm still not planning on sleeping with a robot, so let's just drop it."

"Whatever you say, Stevie," Bucky laughed.

* * *

  
Steve lounged on the couch in Iron Man's lab, working in his sketchbook while the robot repaired one of Falcon's wings. AC/DC was playing softly in the background. It had been blaring loudly until Steve asked that it be turned down. Steve had tried to get him to play different music in the past, but Iron Man was very enthusiastic about his music tastes and refused to do so. Currently, Iron Man was playing the same song on loop, just to piss Steve off. Steve had half a mind to hit him over the head with a wrench. He glanced up every now and then at the robot who seemed to have made it his life's mission to push Steve's buttons. Iron Man had been in the same spot for the past three hours, making it easy for Steve to draw him in great detail. The conversation he had had with Clint and Bucky a few days ago was still fresh in his mind.

Did he have feelings for Iron Man?

Yes. Of course, he did. Iron Man could be a real pain in the ass at times. He was reckless, hot-headed, and could be downright rude. But he was also extremely caring and considerate of others when it mattered. He could be friendly, and Steve liked his jokes. And he was there for Steve whenever he had a nightmare. Sparring with him was also a lot of fun. Iron Man didn't hold back, and Steve enjoyed the adrenaline. Steve cared very deeply about his teammate and would be absolutely shattered if anything bad ever happened to him. But did he love him?

Steve closed his sketchbook and looked over at the robot once more. He had told Clint that he didn't. But in all honesty, he wasn't sure. He reminded himself that no matter how human Iron Man acted, he was still just a robot.

"How many emotions can you feel?" Steve asked suddenly.

"Excuse me?" Iron Man looked up.

"I know you can be happy. And angry. Sometimes scared. Do you ever get sad?" Steve asked, twirling his pencil between his thumb and index finger.

Iron Man stared at him for a long moment. His blue eyes seemed to bore into Steve's soul. "I do. Fairly often, actually." He lowered his gaze again and picked up a screwdriver.

Steve felt a pang of sympathy for him. Iron Man had said that he often got lonely, so Steve had made it his mission to spend more time with the robot. "What else can you feel?"

"Every emotion that a human can."

"Even love?"

"Even love," Iron Man nodded once.

"Have you ever been in love?"

"Yes," Iron Man said softly, eyes never leaving Steve's. "And it hurts. I wish Mr. Stark had kept that emotion from me. Because I'm madly in love with someone who can't love me back. And it's tearing me apart."

Steve opened his mouth to say something but closed it again.

"Have you ever loved someone, Captain?"

"I have. More than once." Steve couldn't help but smile.

Iron Man must have noticed the smile because his next question hit home, "is there someone right now?"

"I suppose so." Steve hummed. "It's complicated, though. I'm still figuring it out."

They both fell into a comfortable silence after that. Steve silently thanked the gods when Iron Man finally changed the song.

* * *

"You should just tell them."

"Absolutely not," Tony snapped, not looking up from the gauntlet he was working on. He was out of his suit, wearing nothing but a tank top and jeans.

"Why not?! Tony, this has gone on long enough. You deserve to live a normal life." Pepper pleaded. "The team cares about you. Their feelings won't change if they were to know the truth. If anything they would just care about you more."

"I don't deserve jack shit." Tony looked up at her, the pain in his human eye all too clear. "And they'd kick me off the team if they knew I'd been lying to them for over a year. Hell, I've been lying to the entire world for six years! Can you imagine what would happen if I suddenly showed my face?!"

"I don't know what would happen. But I'm pretty sure the Avengers won't kick you out."

"It's a very real possibility."

Pepper took a deep breath. "At least tell Steve your feelings for him. Everyone can see that he loves you."

"He'll stop loving me when he sees what I really look like."

"Tony Stark you are impossible," Pepper threw her hands in the air. "Steve loves you for you. He'd probably be over the moon if you told him you were a real human who could show him affection."

Tony scoffed. "He doesn't love me. I heard him talking to Clint and Barnes. He said he could never love a robot-"

"You are not a robot." Pepper frowned.

"Look at me, Pepper!" Tony jumped to his feet, arms outstretched. "Half of my body is a machine! One of my eyes sees the world in shades of blue code! I am most definitely a robot!" He ripped the facial prosthetic off and flung it across the room. Pepper flinched at the sight of his actual face and tried to look away, but Tony yelled, "LOOK AT ME, PEPPER." Pepper forced herself to do as he said. Part of his jaw, his entire cheek, and eye socket was replaced with metal plates. Bits of rubber and wire snaked their way between the plates. Angry scar tissue covered the area where flesh met metal. Tony still managed to keep his facial hair in check, despite everything. Pepper tried to focus on that instead of the machinery. 

Pepper took a deep, shaky breath. "You...you are human. You were born a human, and you will always be a human! Your brain is still made of tissue, and your heart is still beating."

Tony slammed his hands on the table, the sound making Pepper jump. He glared at her for a minute before taking a deep breath and hanging his head. "How much longer, though? My heart is all wrong. All messed up. So is my brain," Tony tapped his temple. "The PTSD isn't going to go away. It's all messed up. I'm all messed up, Pep. How could Steve ever love someone like me?"

"Because he's a good person who can accept people for their flaws." Pepper sighed.

"I don't think he could accept this many flaws."

Pepper stiffened. "Tony."

"What?"

"I can't help you. Not if you're going to keep fighting me every step of the way," Pepper said slowly. "If you want to rot away in that tin can, never able to show your face outside this lab, never allowing yourself to be loved...then fine. That's your decision. But I'm not going to stick around and watch you rot. I just can't." Pepper turned on heel and left before Tony could say anything else.

Tony clenched his fists. "ARGH!" In one sweeping motion, he knocked everything off his workbench. For a moment, he got some sick satisfaction with destroying the items that had been in front of him. He spun around and punched the nearest object, a computer screen. The crack his fist left was also satisfying. But he needed something more. Before he knew what he was really doing, Tony was tearing his workshop apart. Smashing half-finished projects, breaking the glass walls, ripping apart the blueprints for the Iron Man suit.

After denting the wall with a sledgehammer, Tony picked up his helmet. Its now dark eyes stared at him. Mocking him. Pepper was right. Iron Man may be living up life, enjoying his new friendship with Steve and the Avengers. But Tony Stark was rotting away on the inside.

"Fuck you," Tony slammed the helmet down on the edge of a table. "Fuck you. Fuck you! FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU ALL TO HELL!" He brought the helmet down again and again and again. The armor didn't even scratch. That enraged Tony even more. He picked up the sledgehammer and brought it down on the helmet.

* * *

Steve carefully stepped over the broken glass that littered the robot's workshop. He held his shield up, fearing the worst. He had come down to the workshop to talk to Iron Man about upgrading said shield. What he found made his blood run cold. The room was a complete disaster. It looked like a tornado had plowed through. Dumm-E hid in the corner, not making a sound. Someone must have broken in. Which was highly unlikely, considering no one knew this place existed other than him and Pepper. But something had clearly happened. Someone broke in. And that someone might have attacked Iron Man.

"Iron Man?" Steve called. Glass cracked under his boot.

"Over here."

Steve hurried towards the voice. He found Iron Man leaning against an overturned workbench. "Oh, buddy..." Steve's voice was heavy with sympathy as he knelt down next to his friend. Iron Man's armor was riddled with dents and scratches. The glass casing over his arc reactor had shattered, the light behind it flickering. Part of the faceplate was broken off, revealing the machinery underneath. A blue light shone from Iron Man's eye socket. "Who did this to you?" He gently turned Iron Man's head towards him, trying to get a better look at the damage. Iron Man jerked away.

"I did."

"What?" Steve faltered.

"I said 'I did'." Iron Man huffed. "I did this to myself. I...needed to express some anger."

"We have punching bags for a reason. You didn't have to take your anger out on yourself," Steve sighed. "Or your workshop..." he looked around sadly, knowing how much this place meant to Iron Man.

"I did, though. Don't worry about all this. It was going to happen eventually. I'm a mess, Steve." Iron Man hung his head. "W-what are you doing?" Iron Man stiffened when Steve suddenly wrapped his arms around him.

"You look like you could use a hug," Steve pressed his forehead against the cold metal of Iron Man's temple.

Iron Man fell silent, leaning into Steve's embrace. "Sorry," he whispered after several minutes of hugging.

"It's okay. Let's get you fixed up, okay?"

"Okay." Iron Man nodded slowly. In the end, Iron Man sent Steve away, wanting to fix the damage by himself. Steve didn't want to leave him, not after what he had just been through. He was also worried that Iron Man might have another breakdown. But the robot was very determined to fix everything himself, and Steve didn't want to upset him by arguing. So he left.

* * *

"Sir, it's nearly midnight, I suggest you retire for the evening," Jarvis suggested.

"Mute," Tony waved his hand. He had finished repairing his armor a few hours ago, but the workshop as a whole still needed a lot of work. Satisfied that all the broken glass had been swept up, he got to work on putting the furniture back upright. Once that was finished, he put his hands on his hips and looked around the room. Still so much to do. But he didn't regret a single thing. 

"Sir-" Jarvis started.

"I thought I muted you?"

"There is an incoming projectile," Jarvis announced in his usual bored tone.

"What?!" Tony bolted to his feet, eyes snapping to the window. Sure enough, there was something flying right at the tower. He acted on instinct, calling his armor to him and yelling at Jarvis to warn the Avengers. Jarvis set off the alarm just seconds before the missile crashed through the window.

_**BOOM** _

The explosion completely obliterated the lab, causing the entire tower to shake. Tony was vaguely aware of himself falling.

* * *

"THE FUCK WAS THAT?!" Bucky screaming as he sprinted down the hallway. The rest of the team was scrambling around the Avengers' personal floor, weapons at the ready.

"I don't know, but I'm pretty sure it came from Iron Man's workshop!" Steve darted past him, a look of panic on his face.

"Iron Man? What did that damn bot do now?!" Natasha snapped.

Clint shook his head, "it wasn't him, I saw the missile right before it hit!"

_**BOOM** _

A second explosion knocked everyone off their feet. The tower seemed to sway for a moment. Large cracks formed along the floor, small sections of it starting to cave in. Steve used his shield to protect himself from the bits of ceiling that were raining down on him. "We need to get out of here! Everyone get to the Quinjet!" They were on the 50th floor. No time to take the stairs.  
  
_**BOOM**_

The tower started to tilt. The windows shattered and a large part of the ceiling caved in. "GO, GO, GO!" Steve screamed.

Thor grabbed Bruce and Natasha and used his hammer to fly them to safety. Sam didn't have enough room to use his wings. Instead, he grabbed Bucky and ran. Steve hurried after everyone, but the building was becoming increasingly unstable, and he found it difficult to keep his footing.

"CAP!" Clint screamed when the floor gave out under the super soldier.

Steve let out a scream as he plummeted down several stories. He flailed his arms, desperately trying to grab onto something. His screams were abruptly cut off when he crashed into something very solid. "Iron Man?!"

The robot looked down at the man in his arms, "I got you, Cap. Hang on!" Steve barely had time to secure a hold on Iron Man before they blasted back up. Iron Man swerved through the falling debris. The entire tower was coming down at this point. Iron Man made an abrupt turn, shooting out the side of the falling structure and into the crisp night air. Once they were a safe distance away, Iron Man turned back to face the tower. He hovered in mid-air, holding Steve tightly in his arms as they watched their home crumble. The Quinjet flew off the landing pad just in time.

Steve jolted at a sudden realization, "Pepper! Happy! They-"

"I already got them out. And before you ask, there wasn't anyone else in the building," Iron Man assured him. "Oh, wait..." Steve looked up at him worriedly. "My bots..." Iron Man's voice was quiet. Broken. Steve's heart ached for him.

Iron Man took one last look at the pile of rubble that had once been their home before flying after the Quinjet. The ramp lowered, allowing Iron Man to fly inside. He set Steve down and punched a button on the wall, closing the ramp.

Clint was flying the jet. Steve thought he was going to find a rooftop or parking lot to land in, but he kept flying. They left the city limits in a matter of minutes. "We don't know who attacked us. Or if they have more missiles, we need to get out of here before civilians get hurt," he announced. Everyone murmured their agreement.

Steve did a quick headcount. Everyone was present. And uninjured. They were all in various states of shock. But they were alive. And that was all that mattered at the moment.

Iron Man had pressed himself into a corner. He hardly left the tower, unless for a mission, or if he was accompanying Pepper to Malibu. Steve put a hand on his arm, "you gonna be okay?"

"I'll live," Iron Man spoke softly. "I've been through worse. Where are you taking us, Barton?"

"Safehouse," was all Clint said.

 

 


	2. A Partial Truth

"Incoming transmission from War Machine," Jarvis announced after an hour of complete silence on the Quinjet.

"Who?" Steve frowned.

"I've heard that name somewhere..." Sam rested his chin on his fist, deep in thought.

"Patch him through," Iron Man ordered.

One of the screens up front flickered to life, Iron Man's face appearing before them. Steve did a double take. It wasn't quite Iron Man. The faceplate had a few subtle differences. The robot also had a gray color scheme and red eyes. He didn't look too friendly.

"IRON MAN!" War Machine roared, making everyone jump.

"Hey, honey bear!" Iron Man chirped, waving at the other bot. "Haven't seen you in awhile! How ya been?"

"We just saw each other last week, you moron. And I swear to god, if you get yourself blown up one more time, I'll put you back together just so I can blow you up myself!" War Machine's voice was deeper than Iron Man's.

"I didn't get myself blown up this time!" Iron Man protested, throwing his hands in the air.

"This time?!" War Machine also threw his hands in the air. The Avengers looked between the two bots. This "War Machine" had to have also been one of Tony Stark's creations. Or maybe Iron Man had built him? The bots were too similar for there to not be a connection."Jesus! And what's this I hear about you trashing your workshop? Pepper told me everything, so don't play dumb." He jabbed an accusing finger at his fellow bot.

"I cleaned everything up! It all got blown to hell in the end, but at least I cleaned up my mess."

"That doesn't excuse what you did!"

"Um, excuse me?" Natasha stepped in front of Iron Man. "Who are you?"

"War Machine. The guy who's supposed to be keeping an eye on the hot mess behind you," War Machine snapped.

"I don't need you keeping an eye on me," Iron Man flipped him off.

"Real mature," War Machine shook his head.

"How come we're just now hearing about you? I thought Iron Man was one of a kind," Bruce leaned towards the screen, taking in every detail of the new bot.

"Excuse you, I am one of a kind," Iron Man crossed his arms and held his chin up.

"Oh, he definitely is," War Machine groaned. "Wait," he jerked his head back, "you think I'm a bot, don't you?"

"You aren't?" Steve raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not." War Machine's faceplate flipped up, revealing a very human looking man. "One hundred percent human. This is just a suit of armor Iron Man made for me."

"I didn't make it for you," Iron Man said.

"You gave it to me."

"You _stole_ it."

"Iron Man, you literally sat on the floor and did nothing while I walked away with it." Rhodes pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Whatever," Iron Man waved his hand dismissively.

"How do you know Iron Man? Who exactly are you?" Natasha frowned.

"Colonel James Rhodes of the United States Airforce, ma'am," War Machine straightened up. "I was close friends with Tony Stark. I've been trying to keep an eye on Iron Man for him. Make sure he doesn't get himself blown up _again_." He gave the bot a very unamused look. "Least I can do for a departed friend."

"I told you, I don't need you keeping an eye on me. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"Really? We barely got you put back together last time!" Rhodes looked furious. Steve wondered what 'last time' Rhodes was talking about. Iron Man hadn't sustained any injuries in the past few months. And he definitely hadn't been in any explosions. It must have been before the Avengers assembled.

"But you did. Stop breathing down my neck."

"Don't fight me on this, Iron Man. You're all I have left of Tony. Please just let me worry about you, okay?" Rhodes' expression softened.

"Fine," Iron Man bowed his head.

Steve looked between the two. _I'm madly in love with someone who can't love me back._ Iron Man's words from a few days ago came to mind. Was this the person he was talking about? It would explain why he would let Rhodes walk away with a suit of armor. Rhodes said him and Tony Stark had been close. And apparently Stark had put a great deal of himself into Iron Man if his voice and sense of humor was anything to go by. Maybe he transferred his love for Rhodes onto Iron Man? Steve shook himself. He was looking too deeply into things. Still...Iron Man was in love with someone, and Steve couldn't think of who else it could be. Bucky maybe? Those two spent a lot of time together.

"When did you get blown up?" Steve asked softly.

"It was a long time ago. Don't worry about it." Iron Man pat Steve on the back.

"I wouldn't call 2008 a long time ago," Rhodes rolled his eyes.

"I've only existed for six years, give me a break," Iron Man huffed.

"Anyway, is everyone else alright? The tower's all over the news. Someone got some grainy footage of the last missile." Rhodes said.

"We're all fine," Steve reported.

"Jarvis, send me the footage." Iron Man requested. The was a moment of silence. Iron Man was facing the screen but clearly wasn't focused on it. His attention was on whatever was going on inside his artificial brain. "Pause. Enhance. Again. Shit. Jarvis, put that up where everyone can see it."

Rhodes' image was pushed to the corner of the screen, a blurry image of the missile taking up the rest of it. There was no mistaking the Stark Industries logo on the side.

"I thought SI stopped making weapons?" Bruce frowned at the image.

"They did. Someone must have been saving this puppy for a rainy day," Iron Man's voice was grim.

* * *

"Coffee?" Clint held a mug out to Steve.

"Yes, please," Steve gladly accepted the warm drink. They had arrived at Clint's farm around two in the morning. Clint's wife was a little upset that he hadn't called beforehand, but she was glad they were all alive, so she didn't give him too much trouble about it.

It was still early in the morning, and the Avengers were slowly waking up and making their way to the kitchen. Iron Man had chosen to remain in the Quinjet for the night, and Steve was a little curious when everyone but him was accounted for. Steve held his coffee close to his chest as he stepped out onto the porch, the screen door banging shut behind him. Surprisingly, he didn't have to go too much further to find the robot.

Iron Man was in the front yard, playing with Clint's kids. He was flying just a few feet off the ground, giving the two overly excited kids a ride on his back. Clint's son had one hand raised, making "pew pew" noises at various objects. Clint's daughter noticed what he was doing and did the same.

"You should let me borrow Iron Man again sometimes," Clint's wife spoke up from her chair on the porch. She was working on her laptop but politely closed it so she could talk to Steve. "I could use the break every once in a while."

Steve smiled and took a seat next to her, "I'll keep that in mind." She went back to typing on her laptop, and Steve turned his attention to Iron Man. Their flying turned into playing a game of war, which led to Iron Man lying on the ground because Clint's son had "shot" him. His daughter was tugging at Iron Man's head, yelling about how he needed to get up. When he didn't budge, she ran at her brother, declaring she would avenge Iron Man. Steve chuckled as the two kids ran in circles around each other pretending to fire repulsors from their palms. Iron Man eventually sat back up and was instantly swarmed by the curious kids. He sat completely still, cross-legged in the grass as the kids crawled all over him.

Setting his coffee aside, Steve went over to sit with them, "having fun?" 

"Tons," Iron Man sounded annoyed, but his body language told a different story. Iron Man had always had a soft spot for kids, even if he wouldn't admit it. "Please don't touch that," he gently pushed the boy's hand away from his arc reactor. "How about you kid go see what Bucky's up to? I'm sure he'd love to tell you all about his metal arm." Iron Man pried the kids off him and shooed them away. As soon as they were gone the conversation turned serious. "All three missiles were targeted at my workshop. Whoever this is, they're after me, not the Avengers." Iron Man explained.

"Who else knows about your workshop beside us?" Steve asked. Even though the Avengers all knew it existed, Steve was the only one among them that knew its location in the tower.

"Pepper, Happy, Rhodey, Obediah-"

"Obediah?"

"Nevermind, I killed him, so cross him off the list." Iron Man waved his hand dismissively. "So, Pepper, Happy, Rhodey, Jarvis, of course, but that doesn't really count. Um, I guess that's it?"

"Wait, wait, wait." Steve held up a hand, "you killed someone?"

"I killed people in order to escape Afghanistan," Iron Man reminded him, not seeing the problem.

"You killed someone," Steve repeated. 

"I'm a weapon. Weapons kill people." Iron Man said. 

Steve shook his head, "you have weapons in you, but you yourself are not a weapon."

"Humans have such a strange way of looking at things," Iron Man mused. "Something can be right in front of their faces and they still chose to be blind." 

"And robots take things too literally," Steve shot back, a playful smile on his lips. "Anyway. This Obediah, I've heard of him. He used to work for SI, didn't he?"

Iron Man tensed up. "Yes. He was like Rhodey. Good friends with Mr. Stark. Wanted to take care of me because he saw me as Mr. Stark's son. He was a good friend. You know, when Mr. Stark built me I didn't look anything like this. I was just a giant tin can made out of pieces of scrap metal. Obediah provided the parts I needed to make myself into this," he motioned to his body. Steve had seen photos of what Iron Man looked like when the army had found him wandering the desert. Steve was still in awe over how much the bot had changed himself. How much Iron Man had altered his armored exoskeleton in order to be perceived as more human.

"So why did you kill him?" Steve shifted around, having a bad feeling about where the story was headed.

"He was the cause of Mr. Stark's death. He was dealing weapons under the table, and paid to have Mr. Stark kidnapped and executed. I didn't want to kill him though. I wanted to turn him over to the police and let them handle it. But then he ripped out my heart," he tapped the arc reactor in his chest. Steve flinched. "He never truly cared about me. And when I stood in the way of his plans he made that very clear. I had to kill him. It was self-defense."

Steve furrowed his brow, that was a lot to take in and he was upset that someone had hurt his friend in such a way. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Iron Man shook his head. "Has Natasha been able to contact Fury?"

"Not yet. She said she'd try again after she got some coffee in her." Steve stood and held a hand out to Iron Man, who gladly accepted the help up.

* * *

"Thanks, Dumm-E," Steve accepted the cup of coffee from the bot with an earnest smile. A few days ago, the Avengers were homeless. Then they got ahold of Director Fury, who relocated them to a facility upstate. He hadn't been expecting them to make the move so soon, so most of the compound was still under construction. The main living quarters and Bruce's lab were really the only things finished. Iron Man had made a home in the spacious garage that housed the Quinjet. The items he had salvaged from the tower were scattered all around.

"Don't drink that," Iron Man advised. "He put motor oil in it."

"Thanks..." Steve slowly lowered the cup from his lips, having almost drunk some. "How's life in the garage?" He leaned against the wall, watching Iron Man dig through a box of tools.

Iron Man made an exasperated noise. "Awful. I can't get a damn thing done with so little space."

"Langauge."

"Suck a cock, Rogers," Iron Man waved a wrench at him. "This place is a mess."

"You're the one who made it a mess," Steve chuckled.

"Actually, Clint is the one who came through here and knocked everything over. Little shit." Not finding what he wanted, Iron Man kicked the box under the workbench. He marched over to a larger box and flipped open the lid. The bot didn't usually make much noise when he walked, other than the soft whirring of his joints. But right now he was storming around the garage, metal feet clanging on the concrete, and his joints practically screaming. Steve wondered if he was being loud on purpose, or if he needed to oil his joints.

"I think he's only partially to blame for this mess."

"Who's side are you on?" Iron Man's head whipped in his direction, blue eyes meeting Steve's.

"What are you looking for?" Steve changed the subject.

"This!" Iron Man held up a blowtorch. "I'm going to light Clint on fire."

Steve marched over and yanked the torch away. "Absolutely not." He smacked him in the back of the head for good measure.

"You're no fun, Stevie." Iron Man stuck his chin out.

"And you get way too much joy out of antagonizing people," Steve shook his head. "Try and get this place cleaned up before Nat sees it."

"You're not the boss of me."

"Actually, I am. As your team leader-"

"We're not on a mission. I don't have to do jack shit for you."

"Why are you acting like such a child today?" Steve put his hands on his hips, frowning down at the bot, who was still kneeling on the floor.

The robot tilted his head and shrugged, "today's a bad day." He tapped his right thigh with his index finger. "Things aren't working quite right."

Steve frowned, not quite understanding what he meant by that. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"No," Iron Man said bluntly. "You can't help me. Please just leave me alone. And let Clint know that the next time he sets foot in here I _will_ light him on fire."

"Fine," Steve trudged out of the garage, closing the door behind him. 

Tony used his robotic eye to track Steve's heat signature. His silhouette was highlighted red against the blue. Tony didn't usually use his eye to see people's signatures. It was too much information conflicting with his human eye. But right now he felt compelled to track Steve's signature. Once Steve was too far away for Tony to see, he proceeded to slip off his helmet. He took in a deep breath of fresh air and let his head fall back against the crate. Dumm-E rolled over to him, whirring softly. "I'm okay, buddy," he brushed his hand over the bot's claw. "Leg's just acting up." He ran his finger along his thigh, tracing the spot where metal met flesh, just a few inches below his hip. The garage was cold. Cold and metal didn't mix well. Tony increased the heat inside his suit. Having to sleep on the hard seats of the Quinjet probably wasn't helping his situation. But he didn't have a bed at the compound. 

Dumm-E whirred again, pressing its claw against Tony's cheek.

"I said I'm fine," Tony put his helmet back on. His bots were affectionate, somehow knowing how touch starved he was. And most of the time he appreciated it. Now wasn't one of those times. "Be a dear and steal some food from the kitchen for me. I don't care what. Canned soup if there is any." Dumm-E sped off, happy to have a job. For once, it actually brought back what Tony had asked for.

Steve returned a few hours later, removing Iron Man from his garage and forcing him to participate in movie night. He shoved the bot between him and Bucky.

"Always gotta sit by your boyfriend, eh Cap?" Clint nudged his leg with his boot.

"He's not my boyfriend."

"You tell 'em, babe!" Iron Man chirped.

"You. Stop." Steve pointed at Clint. He then jabbed Iron Man in the shoulder, "you. Shut it."

"Rude," Iron Man put his arm over the back of the couch.  
  
"Yeah, be nice to your boyfriend!" Bucky grinned.

"What's this about a boyfriend?" Sam walked in right then, a large bowl of popcorn in his arms.

"Do not," Steve shot Clint a death glare the moment the archer opened his mouth.

The Avenger's alarm blared before the conversation got any further.

"Oh come on!" Sam groaned, "I just popped this!"

"Bring it with you," Steve was already rushing out of the room, grabbing his shield on the way out the door.

* * *

"Not how I thought my night would go, but hey, at least this is interesting," Clint said over the comms. 

"Let's keep the chatter to a minimum tonight. This is serious, Barton," Banner reminded him. He was waiting in the Quinjet, praying that this wouldn't turn into a code green situation.

"Right, right. Robot invasion. Right," Clint mumbled, stabbing an arrow through a crudely made robot. Hundreds of them had swarmed the city. They were made of scrap metal, and weren't put together all that well. Easy to take down, and more of an annoyance than anything. It was the larger, more humanoid bots everyone was worried about. They could still be easily destroyed, but the weapons they carried on themselves were concerning. A few civilians had already been shot by the time the Avengers arrived on the scene, but thankfully there were no fatalities.

"These things are making me look bad," Tony growled, ripping apart the head of a bot with his hands.

"I think you do that on your own," Natasha commented.

"You just really have it out for me, don't you?" Tony blasted into the sky, climbing several hundred feet before stopping. He hovered in mid-air, surveying the battlegrounds. Thor and Steve had been able to contain the fighting to a few blocks.

"She has it out for everyone, don't take it personally," Clint assured him. Tony's sight locked onto him easily. The archer was perched on a rooftop, dealing with the small bots.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's wrap this up. This is getting bor-OOF!" Something rammed into him from behind, sending him crashing into a parking garage. Tony grunted as he pushed himself to his knees. "The hell?"

_**CLANG** _

Something metal hit him in the back of the head. Hard.

Tony activated his repulsors, shooting out of reach before his attacker could deliver another blow. "Hey, now, big guy." Iron Man held out his palms. This bot looked nothing like the others. It was twice the size of Iron Man, and sporting glowing red eyes. "I'm guessing you're their leader?"

"You could say that," the bot's voice was deep and gravely. It raised its fist, a small projectile attached to the back of its wrist.

"He speaks! Wonderful! I'd rather not kill one of my own, so I'd appreciate it if you stand down."

"One of your own? Cute," it fired the projectile. Iron Man easily dodged, however, the resulting explosion tossed him against a pillar. "You and I are nothing alike." He grabbed Iron Man by the head and slammed him into the hood of a car, setting off the alarm. Iron Man kicked the bot off him and blasted through the hole in the roof. He didn't make it very far before the bot grabbed him by the ankle and yanked him back to the ground. Tony's head banged against the inside of the helmet. It stung, but he refused to make a sound. His comm was still on. He couldn't allow the Avengers to know that Iron Man could feel pain.

Tony put everything he had into his boots, shooting out of the bots grip, then making a sharp turn and crashing into him. He was able to deliver several punches and few repulsor blasts before the bot grabbed him by the throat and flew out of the parking garage. Tony squirmed out of his grasp. From there the battle became airborne. Tony gave his all, but nothing he did seemed to weaken the other bot. "Okay, time for a nap." He grabbed onto the robot's torso and flew downwards. The flaps on his shoulder blades lifted up, freeing the boosters and quickening his decent.

Steve looked up just in time to see the two bots hurtling towards the ground. They landed with a loud boom and a cloud of dust. "Iron Man!" He called the moment the dust cleared, terrified of what he saw. His teammate was locked in a battle to the death against a bot that towered over him.

"Take care of the-OOF!-small bots! I got-SHIT-I got this, cap!" Iron Man yelled.

Metal clashed against metal. Sparks flew. Repulsors whirred. Everything was happening in flashes of color and sound. The larger bot grabbed Iron Man by the throat and slammed him into the pavement, its free hand wrapped around Iron Man's head. The metal creaked under its fingers, dents starting to take shape. Iron Man thrashed underneath him.

"I like the new design. Lovely paint job, as always, too bad I have to ruin it." The bot's voice crackled as if it were laughing.

Tiny rockets flipped out from Iron Man's shoulders and launched at his opponent, hitting it square in the chest. The larger robot was thrown off him, the ground shaking when it hit.

Iron Man's body moved in jerky motions as he got his feet. Sparks sprayed from the cracked eyepiece in his helmet.

The other bot growled as it stood, "always fighting back. You need to learn when to stay down."

"Staying down isn't part of my programming," Iron Man said. Steve approached his teammate slowly, shield raised and ready to fight. Iron Man put his hand out, silently telling the Captain to stay back.

"Programming," the bot echoed. "You never were one to follow your programming, though. Too much human in you, I suppose."

Iron Man held up his repulsors, "are you going to keep talking, or are we going to fight?"

"I thought you liked talking. Though it has been awhile since we've last seen each other. A lot's changed. You've changed."

"I'm the same as I've always been," Iron Man held the bot's glare. "Who are you?"

"An old friend."

"I have a lot of those. Be more specific."

"What, you don't recognize my voice? I'm offended, Stark."

Iron Man flinched. Steve slowly turned his gaze to his teammate. "That's not my name."

The bot moved tilted its head. "You keep telling yourself that. Doesn't change the fact that Stark made you. You are his child, and therefore a Stark. I wonder...if he could see you now, what would he think of you? Look at yourself! All this power and you've accomplished so little. Your father would think you're such a disappointment."

Iron Man let out an animal like roar and charged the robot. Steve hung back, knowing he would be crushed if he got in between the two machines. What the larger bot had said must have really angered Iron Man, because his attacks were all over the place. There was not strategizing, no going for weak points. He was letting loose with everything he had, desperately trying to tear the other bot apart.

"They'll kill each other," Natasha appeared next to Steve. "The others bots have been taken care of." She added quickly. "Iron Man's fighting the last one."

"Shall I end this?" Thor raised his hammer, lightning cracked overhead.

Steve held up his hand and shook his hand, "don't. You'll just give them both more juice." Thor reluctantly lowered his hammer. Steve looked away when Iron Man's right arm was sliced off by a laser. Iron Man didn't seem to notice and kept fighting.

"We have to do something," Sam said over the comms. "I know we can just put Iron Man back together, but I'd rather not watch him be torn apart."

Steve made a soft noise of agreement, but he wasn't sure what to do. The gray bot now had Iron Man pinned under his foot. Iron Man's armor was a wreck. It was littered with dents and scratches. There wasn't much paint left on it. The dim lighting made it hard to tell how well the other bot was fairing.

"I'm going to rip you limb from limb. I'll leave your head in one piece, though. So you can watch me kill your precious Avengers. Let you watch as I bash their skulls in."

"DON'T TOUCH THEM!" Iron Man put everything he had into his unibeam. White light shot from his chest, engulfing the street, and temporarily blinding the Avengers. When the light died away, the enemy robot was lying in pieces around Iron Man, who lay unmoving on the ground. "Don't...touch...them..." Iron Man's voice was only audible through the comms.

"Iron Man!!" Steve dropped his shield and raced to his friend's side. The Avengers swarmed around their fallen teammate. Steve practically fell on top of his friend, cupping his face with his hands. Iron Man's eyes were dark. But the arc reactor still glowed. He was alive. "Iron Man! Can you hear me?!" Iron Man gave a small nod. Steve let out a shaky breath.

"Think you could give me a hand, cap?" Iron Man's undamaged eye flicked back on. He wiggled what was left of his arm.

Steve shook his head in disbelief.

"You gave us quite a scare, Man of Iron. I do not think that now is a good time for jokes," Thor frowned at him.

For once, Iron Man didn't give a snarky comeback. Steve slipped an arm under his shoulders and lifted him into a sitting position. Iron Man let out a strangled cry as if the movement caused him pain. Steve stilled. "Are you okay?"

"No, no, something's wrong," Iron Man's voice was choppy. "Very wrong."

"Okay, okay, we'll fix it, just hang on."

"No!" Iron Man yelled. Steve jerked his head back in shock. "Sorry, no. I need...Rhodey. Call Rhodey. C-call him right now. It's too much, you gotta call him!"

"Are you...in pain?" Steve spoke slowly, afraid of the answer.

"Call Rhodey," Iron Man was begging at this point, his remaining hand grabbing at Steve's shirt. "Jarvis won't answer me. You gotta call him."

"Answer the question," Clint snapped. "Can you feel pain?"

"Y-yes. Oh, god, please call Rhodey!" Iron Man choked out.

"You've been able to feel pain this entire time?!" Steve looked horrified. He thought about all the times Iron Man had lost a limb or had been thrown through a building. "How is that even possible?"

"Never felt pain before. But I do have Artifical nerves. Deep down." Iron Man choked out. "Deep deep down. Meant to detect internal damage. S-something's wrong. I've never felt like this before. Oh FUCK, please call Rhodey!" Tony hadn't felt this much pain since half his body was blown up. He was conscious enough to make up an answer but too far gone to pinpoint where the pain was coming from. It felt like his entire body was on fire.

"I just did," Natasha knelt down next to them, putting a hand on Iron Man's knee. "He's on his way. Just hold on. Where does it hurt?"

"Hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts," it sounded like Iron Man was shorting out, his head twitched.

Steve held the robot close to his chest, tucking the cold metal head under his chin. "Shhh...Help is on the way." Iron Man was completely still in his arms, but he continued to repeat the same word over and over. Steve didn't know how to comfort the bot. His first instinct was to rub his back, but he knew the robot wouldn't be able to feel it. Instead, Steve continued cradling the broken robot in his arms. He shifted the hand holding Iron Man's head so that it was now covering the bots eyes, as if to shield him from the world. "I need you to power down. It'll stop hurting if you power down." Something warm was seeping through Steve's sleeve. Something warm and wet. He ignored it.

"Hurts, hurts, hurts." Iron Man's voice was growing weak. 

Steve pulled Iron Man all the way into his lap, "shhh. Go to sleep, shellhead. You'll feel better when you wake up. I promise."

Iron Man refused, his eyes staying brightly lit.

"C'mon man, listen to Cap. Power down," Clint pleaded. "Iron Man. You have to power down. That's the only way to make the pain stop."

There was a heavy metallic thud behind them followed by a, "give him to me." Everyone looked up to see War Machine. He held out his arms to take the injured bot. Steve scooped Iron Man up bridal style and handed him over to Rhodes. Steve had to pry Iron Man's hand from his shirt.

"Help him," Steve whispered.

"I will," War Machine blasted into the sky. Steve watched him go with a heavy heart.

Iron Man could _feel_ pain.

Iron Man was _in_ pain. Iron Man had never felt pain before and he was scared. There was nothing Steve could do to help him. And that was tearing him apart. A lump formed in the back of Steve's throat.

"He's gonna be okay," Natasha's hand ghosted over Steve's shoulder. "He'll get fixed up, just like always. C'mon. Shield's arriving to clean up this mess. We need to get out of their way." Steve let himself be guided back to the Quinjet. He felt numb. People were talking to him, but he didn't hear what they said.

Once back at the compound, he stripped himself of his uniform. He was about to throw it in the laundry basket when he noticed the dark liquid on the sleeve. The liquid looked black against the navy blue fabric, but there was a slight reddish-brown hue to it. Steve felt sick looking at it. He didn't want to think about what kind of oil could have been spilling out of his friend's battered body. He shoved the shirt into the basket and didn't look back.

* * *

**Malibu**

"Welcome back to the world of the living, Tones." Rhodey's face hovered over Tony, who groaned at the sudden noise and screwed his eyes shut. "You gave us quite a scare. You've been out for three days."

"Do they know now? About me?" Tony whispered. Everything hurt. He vaguely remembered getting his ass handed to him by another bot. And being held by Steve. Kind Steve. It was nice. Being held by the man he loved. It probably wouldn't happen ever again. Not if Steve had found out the truth.

"You almost died, and you're worried about the Avengers finding out you're a human?" A feminine voice spoke, heels clicking their way over to Tony. Tony forced his eyes open and was relieved to see Pepper standing next to his bed. _His_ bed. Back at _his_ house in Malibu. How did he get here?

"War Machine flew you in," Pepper said. Shit. He said that out loud. "And to answer your first question, no, the Avengers don't know. You're lucky War Machine was nearby. Otherwise, you would've bled out in that damn suit." Pepper shook her head.

"Your buddies keep calling me, wanting to know how you are. I told them that we had to force you to power down and that we plan on keeping you like that for awhile," Rhodey explained. "Pepper made up some bullshit about your wires snapping and sending out false signals," He tapped Tony's forehead. That was different than the story Iron Man had given them, but Tony didn't feel like straightening that out right now.

"What are my actual injuries?" Tony propped himself up on one elbow. His prosthetic hadn't been replaced. He was seeing in shades of blue again, but couldn't find the strength to focus his human eye. Pepper moved around to his other side, checking on the IV in his arm.

"Four broken ribs, broken collarbone, fractured skull, internal bleeding. And the usually cuts in bruises that come with every fight. How you were still conscious when I picked you up is beyond me. Oh, your right leg is busted. Had to take it off so you wouldn't accidentally cut yourself on the broken metal. It's down in the lab when you feel like fixing it up."

"Thanks, Buddy," Tony let himself lie back down.

"How's the pain? I can up the dosage a little. Not much, but a little," Pepper offered, already messing with the liquid in the IV bag.

Tony shook his head, being no stranger to pain. "I'm more hungry than anything."

Pepper smiled, "alright. I'll make you something. For now, you should rest." Tony nodded and let his human eye flutter shut. The metal plates in his right eye socket shifted, spiraling shut over the glowing eyeball. Rhodey slipped the facial prosthetic back onto Tony's head, knowing he would be upset if he woke up without it.

The next few weeks went by rather smoothly. Tony roamed freely around his mansion, enjoying the time spent outside his armor. He had to use a wheelchair to get around until he fixed his prosthetic leg. And even then, Pepper still insisted on him using the chair, wanting him to take it easy.

Tony currently lay on his back in his workshop, wearing nothing but his boxers. He held his prosthetic hand up, inspecting the fine details in the pale sunlight. He sighed and sat up. He caught a glimpse of his reflection in the window and suddenly found himself unable to look away. His eyes traveled down his own body, looking at the metal that had overtaken the right side. The side the Jericho had claimed when it blew up next to him. He tore his gaze away from the mirror and looked down at his legs. One being almost completely gone, and the other ending just above the knee. At least he still had his left arm. He kept reminding himself of that everything he got caught up in his injuries. And most of his face. Speaking of which...

Tony ran a hand over his jaw. He desperately needed to shave.

"Someone's feeling better," Rhodey observed when Tony came upstairs for dinner, freshly shaven and fully clothed. "Steve called again by the way."

Tony perked up at that, "what did he want?"

"What did he want?" Rhodey rolled his eyes. "He wanted to know how you were doing, dummy."

"What did you tell him?"

"That we turned you back on and you'd be going home soon."

"Home," Tony breathed out. "The Avengers facility isn't much of a home. All I have is the garage."

"You'd have a bed if you just told them-"

"I'm not having this conversation at eight in the morning," Tony grabbed a coffee mug from the cupboard, slamming the door shut. "I'm in too deep to back out now. Six years too deep."

"He really loves you, you know."

"Who?"

"Steve! Jesus, Tones. You're slow today." Rhodey huffed. Tony snorted but didn't say anything. He just went about making his coffee. "He was close to tears when I showed up. Clinging to you like his life depended on it."

"I don't want to talk about this." Tony kept his back to Rhodey.

"He loves you."

"Steve has a big heart, he loves everyone," Tony shook his head.

"Not the same way he loves you, though," Rhodey hummed.

"Then he's an idiot. Falling in love with a fucking robot," Tony finally turned to face his friend.

"He's not in love with a robot. He's in love with _you_."

"No," Tony glared at the mug in his hands. "He's in love with Iron Man, who is indeed a robot. But Tony Stark, the fucked up cyborg hiding inside him? No. He could never love that person."

Rhodey let out a long sigh, "I don't feel like arguing with you on this, Tones. Have it your way. Just know that you deserve to be loved."

"I do not. I don't deserve anyone's love. Especially not _Captain America's_." Tony took a long sip of coffee, holding the mug tightly in both hands. Tony truly believed his one purpose in life was to pilot the Iron Man suit. Help people. Save lives. Do what he can to atone for his sins before he kicked the bucket. 

Rhodey's expression was full of sadness. "Tony-"

"Don't. Please, just...don't." Tony left the room. He didn't feel like having dinner anymore.

* * *

Almost two months after Iron Man was injured, the robot suddenly appeared in the Avengers' living room. He looked as if nothing had happened. His armor shined as brightly as ever, the paint crisp, and not a single scuff in sight. His blue eyes glowed brightly. The Avengers swarmed around him, bombarding him with questions. Their hands ghosted over him, but no one dared actually touch him. Iron Man didn't directly answer any of their questions. He simply said things like "I'm fine", "Don't worry about me", and "I'm sorry for worrying you".

"Someone get Steve!" Clint said, and Bucky quickly hurried out of the room. He returned a few minutes later with a very worn out Captain America at his side. The man had deep bags under his eyes and hadn't shaved in a few days. His hair was a mess, and his usually pristine clothing was wrinkled. The moment his eyes fell on Iron Man, his entire face lit up.

"Hey," Iron Man whispered. Steve rushed over and wrapped Iron Man in a tight hug. Iron Man hesitated before slipping his arms around the soldier. Steve pressed his forehead into the crook of Iron Man's neck. For a long minute, everyone stayed still. Then Bucky joined in on the hug, and pretty soon Iron Man was being group-hugged by the entire team. No one said anything.

That was until Thor showed up and flung himself at the group, knocking everyone over. Steve's laughter was music to Tony's ears.

* * *

Pepper, sweet Pepper, had made sure Tony had an actual bed at the compound. The workshop had already been under construction when Tony had last been there, but now there was an actual bedroom attached to it, hidden behind a secret door. The bedroom was complete with a bathroom and kitchen area. It was small, but exactly what he needed. The construction workers had been paid extra to not ask any questions.

Tony flopped down face first on the bed, breathing in the new linen scent.

_"What, you don't recognize my voice? I'm offended, Stark."_

Tony rolled onto his back. He had been thinking about that robot ever since their fight. He did recognize that voice. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't put a name to it.

Unlike Iron Man, there had been no one inside the other bot. Whoever was controlling it was still out there. Luckily, the mystery antagonist hadn't made a move to attack the Avengers in the time Iron Man was gone. But it was only a matter of time before they showed themselves.

"Jarvis?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Lockdown the workshop. We have a lot of work to do on the armor." Tony got up and stretched. "And put on a pot of coffee, while you're at it."

"Right away, sir."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In summary: Steve and Tony are both idiots.  
> This chapter was intense, and I promise the next one will be toned down. Tony is in great need of happy times with his Avengers family. 
> 
> Thank you for reading!  
> Let me know if you enjoyed, your comments keep me writing! :)


	3. Nightmares and Sneaking Around

Steve sat cross-legged in the grass, a large sketchbook open in his lap. It was a warm spring day and the Avengers decided to have lunch outside. Steve had been trying to draw the group as a whole, lounging in the grass with their paper plates and half eaten sandwiches. But Bruce was the only one who sat still. Thor and Clint were wrestling and kept knocking into people.

"Children," Natasha shook her head. Steve chuckled. He flipped to a blank page and did several quick gesture drawings of the two men.

Clint and Thor ended up rolling down the hill. It was a rather rough tumble that resulted in them calling quits on the wrestling. Or rather, Clint was the one who called it quits. The god was more than willing to keep wrestling. Clint was only on his feet for a few moments before a flash of red and a gust of wind knocked him over.

"Watch where you're going, dickhead!" Clint waved his fist at Iron Man, who was already climbing back into the sky, repulsor flames trailing behind him.

The pencil scratched on the rough paper as Steve quickly sketched out Iron Man's basic form. Every time his eyes flicked back up to the bot, he was flying at a different angle. Steve worked faster, trying to get as much detail down as possible before the bot once again changed direction.

"You're going to burn a hole in the paper," Bucky teased.

"Haven't ever had the chance to draw him when he's flying," Steve explained, looking up once more. The bot was twirling in circles, flying straight up into the clouds, quickly becoming nothing more than a dot in the sky. Soon he started flying in a wave-like motion, ducking under the clouds and back up into them, over and over.

"He's awfully high up..." Bucky laid back on one elbow.

"Good. Less chance of him crashing into me," Clint was trudging towards them, his hair ruffled and grass stains on his jeans. "He has too much energy." It had only been a week since Iron Man had returned. He had holed himself up in his workshop not speaking to anyone for the entire time. And on the eighth day, without warning, he blasted out of the workshop, immediately taking to the skies. It had been almost three hours since that had happened, and Iron Man showed no signs of slowing down.

"Probably just stir crazy, let him be," Bucky shrugged.

Steve's neck was starting to ache, so he turned his attention to Bucky, who happily posed for him. Although, Steve's eyes kept straying back to Iron Man.

"He's home," Bucky assured him, putting a hand on Steve's knee. The Avengers hadn't been the same without their robot. Missions were difficult. Sure, the Avengers always got the job done. That wasn't the problem. The problem was the painful hole that had formed in the very heart of their dynamic.

"He's home," Steve echoed. The soldier looked more like himself now that his bot had returned to him. But he was still worried. Iron Man could feel pain. He still couldn't shake what had happened from his mind. Couldn't forget the way Iron Man had clung to him, oil dripping from the cuts in his armor, begging for them to help him. Steve shook himself. Iron Man didn't like asking for help. Just thinking about the bot begging felt so... _wrong_.

But Rhodey had fixed him. Mended the severed wires. Replaced the spilled oil. Knocked the dents out of his head. Rhodey said he was okay.

Iron Man said he was okay.

Iron Man was _not_ okay.

Other than the soft "hey" he had given Steve when they reunited, the bot hadn't said a single word to him. He didn't speak to anyone, in fact. Bucky managed to get a few words out of him on the first day before he vanished into his workshop. Iron Man seemed to have retreated into his own mind. Talkative, hot-headed Iron Man had become withdrawn. Silent. Steve hated it.

Iron Man was dealing still dealing with unrequited love, as far as Steve knew. So that could be part of the reason for his silence.

Iron Man landed with a thud, kicking up dirt. He slowly rose from his crouched position, armor barely making a sound.

"You look different," Bucky combed a hand through his hair, which had blown into his face when the robot landed.

Steve looked the robot, having not been able to spot the subtle changes when he had been flying. There was more red on him, darker, almost maroon in shade. What looked like tiny arc reactors were all over his body. Two in his rib cage, a pair where the chest plate met the shoulders. Another pair on his hips. A few more on his legs and arms. Iron Man rolled his shoulders, causing small plates to slide over the tiny lights, hiding them from Steve's gaze.

"I made my last exoskeleton too thin. I needed a full upgrade," Iron Man said as if it were nothing. "Rather not get my head bashed in again."

"I like it," Steve smiled, twirling his pencil in his hands.

"Of course you do-" Clint started, only for Natasha to jab him in the ribs.

Bucky was staring at Iron Man's face. Tony's eyes locked onto Bucky's, even if the other wasn't fully aware of it. Bucky's eyes narrowed for a moment, but he abruptly looked away.

Iron Man settled into the grass next to Steve, so close that their thighs were touching. The robot pointed at the sketchbook and Steve gladly handed it over. Steve leaned against the bot while he thumbed through the book. He was a little embarrassed by just how many drawings he had done of Iron Man. Most of them were of a human version of Iron Man but of Iron Man none the less. Steve had a habit of coloring the human version's eyes solid blue.

* * *

  
"What the actual fuck?!" Clint nearly dropped the bundle of arrows he was carrying.

"What?" Iron Man's faceplate was as emotionless as ever.

"Did you just sneeze?" Clint gasped.

"Did I?"

"Did you?"

"Did you?" Iron Man tilted his head.

"Me?"

"Yes, you."

"Did I sneeze?"

"You did."

"Wait, no I didn't, you did."

"Nope. You did."

"I did?"

"I have no nose, birdbrain."

"Right. So who sneezed?"

"You did." Iron Man quickly left the room.

"What the fuck just happened?" Clint blinked.

* * *

"Please don't touch that," Iron Man sighed.

"You're not the boss of me," Steve huffed, continuing to fiddle with the gauntlet he had found. He was once again visiting Iron Man in his workshop, but this time the two of them were sitting together at the workbench.

"I'm a bad influence on you," Iron Man chuckled. "Seriously, you'll blow your head off." He carefully removed the gauntlet from Steve's hands. Picking up a screwdriver, he got to work on fixing the bolts Steve had unintentionally loosened.

"How does it work?" Steve leaned in close to the robot.

"Why do you want to know?"

Steve shrugged, "just curious."

Iron Man stared at him for a minute, then tugged on a latch that made the gauntlet fold open. He used the screwdriver to point to various parts as he explained how it worked. He expected Steve to get bored and leave, but Steve remained at his side, completely fascinated by Iron Man's words. Iron Man wasn't sure when Steve had laid his head against his shoulder, but he made no move to push the soldier away.

* * *

"What's wrong with me, Buck?" Steve put his head in his hands. Bucky had been sparring with Steve, but the soldier couldn't seem to focus, so they decided to take a break.

"Nothing wrong with you, punk," Bucky punched his shoulder playfully.

"Yes, there is!" Steve moaned. "I'm getting weird feelings for a robot! A robot, buck!" Steve through he hands in the air, clearly distressed. "I should only be feeling this way about a woman. Or a man. Doesn't matter, as long as they have a beating heart."

Bucky pulled his hand away. "He does have a heart."

"The arc reactor is not the same thing." Steve let his head fall back against the wall.

"But you still love him."

"I do. What should I do, Buck?"

"Tell him?"

Steve laughed at that. "And then what? Hold hands and run off into the sunset?"

"I don't see why not," Bucky shrugged.

"He's a robot. That's why not!"

"You're not required to act on your feelings, Stevie," Bucky assured him. "But it's not healthy to keep them bottled up either."

"I know..." Steve looked away.

"We should go out tonight. Grab a drink, dance with some dolls," Bucky smiled, elbowing his friend in the ribs. "Or fellas. I'm leaning towards fellas today."

"Neither of us can get drunk," Steve reminded him.

"So? It's about the experience!" Bucky grinned. "Come on, let's do it!"

Steve shook his head. He still owed Peggy a dance and didn't feel like dancing with anyone else. Maybe Iron Man...no, Steve pushed that thought aside. The thought of Peggy made his heart to ache. His first love was much too old for him now. And his second a machine. "My love life is a mess," Steve groaned.

"You're a mess," Bucky huffed. "Go shower. You smell. I'm gonna go see if anyone else wants to go drinking with us."

* * *

A few hours later, Steve found himself getting dragged around New York City by Bucky and Thor, who were both very excited to go drinking. Clint was already drunk after the first bar, and Natasha had to hold his hand so that they wouldn't lose him in the crowd. Natasha had had a few glasses of wine but was far from tipsy. Bruce and Sam decided not to drink but came along for the ride. Sam was mostly there just to take embarrassing pictures of everyone.

"She's pretty," Natasha nodded at a dark-skinned woman at the end of the bar.

"She is. But she also has a boyfriend who's in the bathroom," Steve pointed out. "And here he comes..." he quickly averted his eyes.

"Okay, okay, but what about him?" Sam jerked his thumb at a shorter man dancing with a group of friends.

"Why are you all trying to set me up?"

Clint rolled his eyes. "Because you obviously want to get over your crush on Iron Man-"

"It's not a crush."

"I'm sorry, your  _love_ for Iron Man," Clint smirked. "We're just trying to help you out, man."

"I don't need your help."

"I find that really hard to believe," Sam laughed.

"I'd rather not be in a relationship with anyone right now," Steve admitted. "I'm still...look, I'm still getting my barrings on this new century, and I'd rather just focus on rebuilding my life. And on the team." Next week would mark Steve's second year living in the twenty-first century. A fact that Steve had mixed feelings about.

"Understandable," Bruce hummed. He was the only one who hadn't tried to set Steve up with someone. Yet. He turned his glass of water around in his hands, fingers tracing patterns into the condensation. "Speaking of which, I have a new list of songs to give you. Remind me when we get back to the compound."

"Thanks, buddy," Steve smiled at the soft-spoken scientist.

"Well, if you're not going to dance with someone, then I am," Natasha drug Clint out onto the dance floor.

"I would like to dance as well! Come, Banner! Let us dance!" Thor took Bruce's hand before the smaller man could protest.

Thankfully, no one brought up the topic of romance for the rest of the night. Steve ended up enjoying himself, despite not being able to drink with his friends. Half them were still sober anyway, so he didn't feel too left out. At some point, Bucky decided to tell everyone about Steve's time as a showgirl for the army, and Steve about died of embarrassment. Clint walked away from the conversation with more blackmail than any one man should ever possess.

* * *

Meanwhile, Tony sat alone in his workshop. He leaned against the wall, a bottle of scotch between his legs. He brought the bottle to his lips and took a long gulp. The glass he had been drinking from shattered about an hour ago after he had thrown in against the wall. Tony muttered to himself while his bots hid in the corner, frightened of their drunken father. He wasn't supposed to be drinking. Not with his skull still mending. Pepper would probably scold him if she could see him now. But he didn't care. He needed this drink like he needed air.

Eventually, Tony drug himself to bed. He tossed and turned, unable to get comfortable in the unfamiliar bed. As soon as Tony's eyes closed, Obediah's face appeared before him.

_"You think just because you have an idea, it belongs to you?" Obediah sneered, yanking the arc reactor out of Tony's chest. He stepped away, leaving Tony paralyzed on the couch. The scene shifted, and Tony found himself stumbling down to his workshop. The last step came up, and Tony fell straight through it. Falling down, down, down, down..._

_Tony cried out, flailing his arms helplessly. The walls were folding in around him. He heard screaming. It sounded like his voice, but it hadn't come from his own lips._

_Someone caught him._

_Steve._

_The super soldier smiled lovingly down at the cyborg in his arms, his warm hand caressing the human side of his face. They were lying in the grass, clear blue skies above them. A warm breeze ruffled their hair. "Oh, Tony..." Steve whispered. His voice was so soft. Tony relaxed into his arms, the fear fading away. "You're so...disgusting." Tony's eyes snapped back up to Steve's face. The loving gaze was gone, twisted into a look that could only be described as hatred. "Nothing but a disgusting coward." Steve shoved him onto the ground and raised his shield. The grass was gone, replaced with mud. The sky had turned red._

_"Steve, please! I love you!" Tony crossed his arms over his face in a desperate attempt to shield himself._

_"You don't deserve my love," Steve brought the shield down, shattering the reactor, and slicing open Tony's chest. Oddly enough, Tony felt no pain. Looking down, he didn't see any blood. No bones. The inside of his chest was made up of machinery. Tony was too frightened to scream. Steve disappeared. Tony ran. He ran until he crashed into his own suit of armor. The armor grabbed him by the shoulders and twirled him around. There was now a mirror before him. But Tony didn't see his reflection. He only saw Iron Man's. He clawed at the faceplate, forcibly removing it and tossing it to the side. There was no face inside the armor. It was all machinery. Just like his chest._

_"No, no, no! I'm not a robot! I'm not!" Tony stumbled backward, suddenly aware of just how cold it was inside the Iron Man armor. How hollow._

_"Really?"_

_Tony whirled around to face Steve._

_"You told me you were a robot. Why did you lie to me, Tony?" Steve looked at him with those puppy dog eyes that would have made Tony's heart melt in any other situation. "Why did you lie?! TELL ME!" Steve's face contorted into rage once more. The rest of the Avengers started crowding around him, all screaming._

_"LIAR!"_

_"COWARD!"_

_"MONSTER!"_

_Tony doubled over on the ground, hiding his face in his knees and pressing his hands over his ears. Someone yanked his head up by his hair. Obediah._

_"What, you don't recognize my voice? I'm offended, Stark." The dead man smiled._

Tony jolted awake. He was panting heavily, sweat dripping down his face. Tony wrestled with the blankets tangled around his legs. "J-Jarvis?"

"Sir?"

"Ge-get the suit ready." Tony kicked off the blankets and swung his legs over the side of the bed. His whole body ached. The alarm clock on his nightstand read 4:10 am.

"Sir, you've only gotten three hours of sleep in the past two days. I would advise against using the suit." Jarvis' voice was unwavering.

"When has that ever stopped me before?"

"Sir, please, you are putting yourself in unnecessary danger."

"What else is new?" Tony was already at his dresser, pulling out the black under armor.

"Sir-"

"Mute. I'll prepare the suit myself." Tony quickly got dressed and headed straight for his armor.

* * *

A bit later, Tony found himself at the sight of Obediah's demise. The factory still stood. It was in shambles, and any useable equipment had long been removed, but standing none the less. The room that had housed the arc reactor was nothing by a shell.  
Broken, twisted metal littered the floor. Clumps of wires. Scorch marks. Ash forever painted on the walls. All signs pointed to an explosion. There was no way Obediah could have survived. Absolutely none.

Iron Man moved around the room, looking for answers he knew wouldn't be there.

_"What, you don't recognize my voice? I'm offended, Stark."_

Iron Man recognized that voice. There was no mistaking the man that he had once seen as a father figure. Or maybe there was? His mind must be playing tricks on him. It had to be. Iron Man took a seat on what was left of the metal steps, putting his head in his hands and giving a heavy sigh. He was fairly certain that someone had been controlling that bot, whether it had been Obediah or not. But why hadn't they made a move to attack again? Tony's head pounded from the lack of sleep and alcohol. He really didn't want to deal with all of this right now.

"What are you doing here?"

Iron Man's head jerked up at the sound of Steve's voice. The soldier was dressed in his uniform, shield slung across his forearm.

"Better question, what are you doing here?" Tony frowned under the helmet.

"Couldn't sleep. Nightmares." Steve shuffled around. "Went to your workshop, but couldn't find you. Jarvis told me where you had gone, and that you might be in trouble."

"Hence the Captain America get up," Iron Man nodded once. "I'm fine, Steve. I just needed to prove something to myself."

"Is this where you killed him?" Steve didn't need to say Obediah's name.

"It is. The robot. From two months ago. I mistook his voice for Obie's. I needed to be sure..." Tony hung his head.

Steve went over to Iron Man and tilted his chin up. "He can't hurt you anymore."

"I know. But I had to be sure."

There was a long silence.

"I'm sorry."

"What for?" Tony frowned. "You were still in the ice when it happened, you couldn't have-"

"No. I'm sorry you got hurt. Two months ago. I should've done something. Should've stepped in before it got that bad," Steve whispered. His hand traveled up to cup Iron Man's cheek.

"If you got involved then you would've gotten hurt too, dummy." Tony huffed. "You can always put me back together. But I can't do the same with you."

"I don't want to have to keep putting you back together," Steve was using his "no-nonsense Captain America" tone. "I don't want to see you in pain ever again. Next time, I'm going to have your back. I promise." He kissed Iron Man's forehead.

Tony went completely still.

"Sorry," Steve took a step back. "That was...unprofessional."

Iron Man nodded once. Steve cleared his throat. "Are you going to be alright?"

"Good question," Iron Man stood. He towered over Steve due to the stairs. "I think we should head back. Want a lift, spangles?"

"Sure, why not?" Steve allowed himself a small smile. Iron Man had Steve turn around. He looped his arms under Steve's, pulling the super soldier close to his chest.

"Hang onto your shorts," was the only warning Iron Man gave before blasting through the hole in the roof.

* * *

  
Bucky quickly exited the kitchen, not wanting to deal with his hungover teammates. Clint was a dick on normal days. But a complete ass when he was hungover. Natasha wasn't much better. She wasn't annoying so much as scary. Bucky was leaving the kitchen mostly to avoid her wrath. He stopped in his tracks upon hearing a loud crash. It had come from Iron Man's workshop, just down the hall from where Bucky now stood. Worried about the robot within, Bucky opened the door just enough to peek inside. The room was dark, other than a single lamp that hung over the workbench. The blinds were drawn, although small slivers of sunlight lined the floor. No sign of Iron Man.

The lamp over the workbench was swaying, making soft creaking noises. Movement caught Bucky's eye. Something darted under the windows. A humanoid shadow obscuring the light for a brief moment.

"Iron Man?" Bucky called warily. Slowly, he moved into the door, closing the door behind him. No answer. Bucky crept further into the room. He kept to the walls, not making a sound. He spotted someone crouching behind the tool cart. They were dressed in black and trying to make themselves as small as possible. Bucky moved closer to them. The person had their back to Bucky, a wrench gripped in one hand. Bucky didn't recognize them as any of the SHIELD agents that worked at the Avengers compound. Even if it was an agent, they shouldn't have access to Iron Man's workshop. Or anywhere else in the Avengers' personal building, for that matter.

Bucky jumped the person, wrapping his arms around their torso, immobilizing their arms. "Who are you? How did you get in here? SHIT!!" The two suddenly became airborne. Energy not unlike Iron Man's repulsors blasted out of the intruder's feet, sending them crashing into the ceiling. Bucky kept a firm hold on the intruder, barely flinching when he was rammed into the ceiling a second time. The intruder threw his weight to the side, spinning them around so quickly that Bucky lost his grip and was flung across the room. He crashed into a workbench, which collapsed under his weight.

Bucky lept back to his feet. In the meantime, the intruder had landed and was glaring at Bucky. He took in the man's appearance. Black hair, goatee, facial prosthetic. He looked familiar, but Bucky was pretty sure he would remember someone with a glowing eye. The man made no move to attack so the Winter Soldier figured he might as well try to talk to him. "How did you get in here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," the man growled. Bucky was pretty sure the man's chest was glowing, but it was hard to tell with the layers of clothing.

"Where is Iron Man? What did you do to him?"

The man scoffed, "I haven't done a damn thing."

"I find that really hard to believe. Considering I just found you sneaking around like a rat," Bucky shot back.

The man took a defensive stance, fists clenched. Even with the dim light, Bucky could tell that the man had a metal hand. Not unlike his own. "Who are you?"

"You're awful slow on the uptake, Barnes," the man muttered. Bucky narrowed his eyes at him, studying his face. He uncurled his metal fist, revealing the repulsor in the palm. Bucky took that as a threat and lunged. He punched him square in the chest, knocking him flat on the back. The repulsor fired on accident, singeing the tips of Bucky's hair. Bucky was on top of the intruder now, trying to restrain his hands above his head.

"Jarvis! Alert the Avengers! Armed intruder in the-oof!" The man kneed Bucky in the gut. Usually, that wouldn't have hurt the super soldier. But knees weren't usually made out of metal. A fist connected with Bucky's jaw. "JARVIS!!" Bucky roared. The AI didn't answer. Bucky tried to stand, only to be kicked in the knee. Bucky fought back, but the man's strength rivaled his own, and pretty soon Bucky found himself lying flat on his back. The man kicked Bucky again, flipping him onto his stomach. He pressed his metal knee painfully against Bucky's spine, pinning him in place. He used his metal hand to wrench Bucky's prosthetic behind his back, and his other to grab Bucky's hair.

He yanked Bucky's head up and snarled in his ear, "you dare attack me in my own home?" Bucky was suddenly very aware that all the bots in the workshop had surrounded them. They whirred angrily. Dumm-E was snapping his claw, ready to rip apart Bucky. That's when it clicked.

"I-Iron Man?"

"Bingo." Iron Man shoved Bucky's head forward, nearly breaking his nose on the concrete floor. The weight was lifted from Bucky's back, and the soldier pushed himself to his knees. He looked over his shoulder to see Iron Man retreating to the corner. He bent one of his legs up, looking at the bottom of his foot. The repulsor had shot a hole straight through the sole of his shoe. Iron Man cursed and stomped his foot. "Get out."

"I...I don't understand." Bucky stammered, unable to take his eyes off Iron Man's face. His _human_ face.

"I don't care. Get out."

"Sir, I must intervene," Jarvis finally spoke. The AI turned the lights on. It must have sent some sort of signal to the bots as well because they were all backing off now.

"I thought I muted you?" Iron Man snarled.

"You're human," Bucky blurted out.

"Cyborg, actually." Iron Man slipped the prosthetic from his head, revealing the machinery that made up the right side of his face.

"What the actual hell?!" Bucky scrambled back, startling himself when he bumped into the tool cart. "Wait..." he studied Iron Man's face a bit closer. "You're...you're Tony Stark!"

"Tony Stark is dead." Tony moved across the room, retrieving Iron Man's helmet from a chair and putting it on. He turned to face Bucky, blue eyes glowing almost threateningly. "I am Iron Man."

"No...you're not...you've...you..." Bucky went over to Iron Man, hands shaking as he removed the helmet. Tony let him take it off. "You're not a bot...?"

"I just said I was a cyborg."

Bucky shook his head. He was silent for a moment, looking down at the helmet in his hands. He had been suspicious of Iron Man for awhile. Ever since he saw the blood on Steve's sleeve. But no one else had questioned it at the time, so Bucky had remained silent. He didn't want to believe that there was an actual human being inside the armored exoskeleton. "Why tell everyone you're a robot?"

"I don't have to explain myself to you."

"Tony-"

"My name is Iron Man." Bucky's eyes snapped back to Tony, who was so much shorter without his armor. Iron Man was the same height as him and Steve. But Tony was at least five inches shorter than him. "Get out."

"Not until you tell me what's going on. Why are you pretending to be a robot?!"

"I'm not pretending." Tony grabbed the helmet back. "I'm connected to this armor. This armor is _me_. Tony Stark is dead."

"He doesn't have to be."

"Yes, he does," Tony growled. "Tony Stark was a monster. The merchant of death. That's what they called him. And they were right. The world wants to believe that Stark died in Afghanistan. Let them. Now get out."

Bucky looked Tony over, taking in every detail of the man before him. "Fine." Bucky knew there was no point in arguing with Iron Man. If he kept pushing Tony, he could lash out for real.

"Don't tell anyone," Tony said when Bucky had his hand on the doorknob. "Please. I know you don't understand. But I have my reasons for hiding behind a suit of armor. If the Avengers find out..." Tony clutched the helmet close to his chest. "Please. Don't tell anyone. Especially not Steve." Bucky looked back at him. Tony looked...exhausted. Broken. Bucky felt compelled to hug him, but he stayed firmly planted to his spot.

"I won't, Tony." Tony flinched at his own name. "You have my word." Bucky locked the door behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Side note about Iron Man's armor:  
> As of this chapter, he is on the Mark 46, which is what he wore during Captain America: Civil War.  
> This story takes place right before Age of Ultron, but I figured with Tony's life situation, he would advance through the various iterations of his armor at a much faster rate.  
> I would love to write him wearing the Infinity War armor, so hopefully, Marvel drops the trailer soon and I can get a better look at it.


	4. How To Care For Your Cyborg

"But say a dog _was_ worthy of the hammer. Would Thor have to hand over Asgard to a dog?"

"Go to sleep, Cap."

"Think they'd make a tiny throne for it? Maybe a little red cape?"

"Steve, you've been up for twenty-four hours. Go to sleep." The robot was sitting on the edge of the bed, his back to Steve. His eyes were glued to the window, watching the storm raging outside. The storm wasn't helping Steve's insomnia, so Iron Man had come to his aid. They hadn't discussed the fact that Steve had kissed Iron Man a few days ago. He still wasn't sure if the armored Avenger reciprocated his feelings. Either way, the kiss hadn't come between their friendship. Iron Man turned slightly, the blue glow of the arc reactor illuminating the super soldier's face. Steve looked beyond exhausted. But he kept talking.

"Dogs are literally the purest creatures on this earth. I don't see why one wouldn't be able to wield the hammer."

Iron Man suddenly lashed out, slamming his palms against Steve's chest, forcing him onto his back. He straddled the man's hips and leaned in close. "Go. To. Sleep." He snarled, blue eyes blazing. "Or else."

"Or else what?" Steve smirked. The repulsor in the robot's palm whirred to life. He pointed it at Steve's temple. Steve squinted at the light. "We both know that's an empty threat, Shellhead." Iron Man didn't move for a moment, but the light did eventually fade. His hands dropped on either side of Steve's head. Steve shifted around, not comfortable with almost four hundred pounds of metal sitting directly on his hips. "Get off of me."

"No," Iron Man refused.

"You're heavy, get off," Steve pressed his hands up against the breastplate, but the robot still didn't budge.

"Go to sleep," Iron Man demanded.

"Get off and I will!"

"Liar."

"You are very heavy," Steve complained, squirming under him.

"You have super strength," Iron Man tilted his head.

"I'm tired," Steve muttered.

"Then sleep," Iron Man flopped down beside Steve, half of his body still on top of him. Steve shoved him the rest of the way off. Iron Man rolled onto his back, his head turned to look at his friend.

"Okay, okay," Steve pulled the blanket up and turned away from Iron Man.

_**CRASH** _

White light filled the room. Iron Man bolted upright. Another clap of thunder had him scrambling back against the headboard.

"Scared of thunder, Shellhead?" Steve glanced over his shoulder at the bot.

"Shut up," Iron Man hissed.

"It's okay if you are. I'm not judging."

Iron Man's voice grew quiet. "I'm not afraid. It just reminds me of Afghanistan."

Steve was silent for a moment, searching Iron Man's face for something he knew wouldn't be visible. "Do you ever get nightmares?"

"I'd have to be able to sleep in order to get nightmares," Iron Man pointed out.

"Right," Steve turned his whole body to face him. "But you power down a lot. Isn't that like sleeping?"

"I suppose? It's more just to conserve energy," Iron Man shrugged. "Everything goes dark when I power down. I don't dream."

"Maybe you should power down until the storm is over?" Steve suggested.

Iron Man briefly considered it. "Only if you go to sleep."

"I'll try," Steve smiled softly. "C'mere." He moved over so Iron Man could lie down. Iron Man settled in next to his friend. 

* * *

The next morning, Sam poked his head in Steve's room. The two always went on morning runs together. It was almost eight, and Steve still hadn't met Sam downstairs, and he was starting to get worried. Sam blinked at the scene before him.

Steve and Iron Man were wrapped up in each other's arms. Iron Man's head was tucked against Steve's chest, and Steve had one leg thrown over the bot. The sheets were tangled up in their limbs. Iron Man lifted his head when he felt someone's presence. The two just stared at each other for a several minutes before Iron Man put his head back against Steve's chest. 

"Um..." Sam shifted around awkwardly.

Iron Man made a shooing motion with his hand.

Sam slipped back out of the room, closing the door softly behind him.

* * *

"They were...cuddling?" Natasha said slowly.

"That's what I just said!" Sam threw his hands in the air.

"How the fuck do you cuddle a robot?" Clint shook his head in disbelief, letting his spoonful of cereal drop back into the bowl.

"They're probably still doing it if you want to find out," Sam jabbed a thumb over his shoulder.

Clint started towards the door only for Natasha to grab him by the back of the shirt. "Don't. Let them be."

Bucky was silent during the entire conversation. He sat at the other end of the table, staring at the coffee in his hands. He hadn't seen Iron Man since he found out his secret a few days ago. The cyborg seemed to be going out of his way to avoid him. Steve may be his closest and oldest friend, but Tony was Bucky's best friend. He would never betray the man's trust by telling the Avengers his secret. Surely Tony knew that. So why was he avoiding him?

Bucky felt guilty every time he looked at Steve. Steve told him everything. He had trusted Bucky with his feelings for Iron Man, and now Bucky was hiding the biggest secret of all from Captain America. Steve was a generally happy, upbeat person. But Bucky knew him well enough to know that he was not happy. Not completely. Steve was lost and confused. Steve needed to know the truth. He deserved to know the truth. The fact that Iron Man was cuddling Steve at this very moment bothered Bucky. How much longer was Tony planning on keeping this up? Was he going to allow a relationship between him and Steve to happen? Without the other ever knowing the truth?

"I'm going to strangle you!" Tony's voice pulled Bucky from his thoughts. Iron Man had his hands on Clint's collar, violently shaking the poor archer. When did he show up?

"Let him go," Steve pried Iron Man's hands off of Clint. "It's too early to be picking fights."

"He called me a toaster!" Tony roared.

"You called me a 'flesh bag'! What the fuck man?!" Clint was fuming.

"That's what you are!"

"Fine! Then you're a glorified Tamagachi!" Clint shot back. Iron Man made a grab for Clint, but Steve got in between them. Bucky's eyes were glued to the cyborg. He could picture the man inside almost perfectly. He had a pretty good idea what facial expression he wore, as well. Steve shouldered Iron Man to the other side of the room. He spoke to him in a soft voice, doing his best to calm him down. Steve's hands ghosted over Iron Man's arms and down to his hands. Iron Man settled down when Steve threaded their fingers together.

Tony made eye contact Bucky. He tilted his head, asking a silent question. Bucky shook his head and left the room.

 

* * *

  
**Three Months Later**

"This is stupid!"

"Shut up, punk," Bucky manhandled Tony into the car and slammed the door in his face. "You need to get out of the facility." He said once he got in the driver's seat. He had already put the child locks on, just in case Tony decided to make a run for it.

"I do get out. Quite often, actually." Tony flipped down the sun visor in order to check his appearance in the mirror. He had the hood of his sweatshirt pulled up, and a pair of dark sunglasses hiding the glow of his robotic eye. It was August, and much too hot for the man to be in all black, but Tony was too stubborn to wear anything but.

"Yeah, in a metal suit. You need fresh air."

"You need to get off my dick."

"Tony-"

"The filtration system in my helmet is top notch. It's actually healthier to breathe with it than without."

"Tony-"

"And it's not like I didn't go out in disguise when we lived in the tower. It was easier back then. And I don't wear the suit when I go to Malibu with Pepper-"

"Iron Man!"

"What?"

"Shut up."

Tony aggressively smacked the sun visor up. About a week after Bucky found out his secret, Tony had found a tuna fish sandwich on his workbench. From there, Bucky kept leaving him more and more food. If the Avengers ever went out to eat, Bucky would bring his leftovers back to Tony. If they had a party, Bucky would sneak out a plate of food and put it in Tony's fridge for later. Which kind of irked the cyborg. He had his own food and didn't need Bucky watching over him like a lost puppy. He appreciated the gesture, but it was still annoying. Luckily, Tony only felt that way in the beginning. After a month of Bucky shoving food in his face, Tony stopped putting up a fight. And now the cyborg expected his share of food every time the Avengers went out for dinner. None of the Avengers questioned why Bucky took home leftovers from every event, he was, after all, a super soldier and needed the extra calories. The hard part was keeping Clint from stealing them on the way home.

Bucky had decided that morning that he was going to take Tony out to lunch. So he could have an honest to goodness fresh meal for once.

"Where are you taking me?"

"I thought I told you to shut up?"

"Have you met me?" Tony shot back.

Bucky clenched his jaw, "fair enough."

Tony smirked. He leaned his chair back and put his feet on the dashboard, wanting to spite Bucky. But the soldier didn't seem to care. They drove the rest of the way in silence. It wasn't until they were seated at the restaurant that Bucky started talking again.

"We're going bowling the weekend after next."

"Who's we?" Tony swirled his drink with a straw.

"The team," Bucky rolled his eyes. "You should come with us."

"Iron Man at a bowling alley?" Tony laughed. "That'll be an image for the papers."

"You could go without the suit," Bucky nudged his shin. "You don't have to tell them who you are. I can make up some story about meeting you at the PTSD support group I go to."

Tony hummed, pretending not to hear Bucky as he flipped through the menu.

"You haven't shaved in awhile. Keep it up, that way no one will recognize you." Bucky pointed out. 

"This looks good," Tony tapped a sandwich option on the menu. "I think I'll get the onion rings with it."

"Great," Bucky shut Tony's menu. "I'm serious, Stark. I think it would be fun. Everyone misses you when we go out-"

"They miss Iron Man. You bringing a "friend" to the party isn't going to change that."

"Baby steps," Bucky grinned, trying to look Tony in the eye despite the sunglasses.

"They'll recognize my voice."

"Your voice sounds different outside the armor," Bucky shrugged.

Tony blinked, "it does?"

"Yeah. It's not as deep. And the helmet makes this weird..." Bucky waved his hands, "I don't know how to explain it. It's like...echoey. But not? It's different. Sounds like a computer, I guess."

"Good. Still not going bowling, though." Tony nodded. He groaned when Bucky started giving him puppy dog eyes. "Okay, okay. I'll think about it. Happy?"

"Very." Bucky flipped open his own menu. 

* * *

Steve was not a happy camper. Clint had somehow gotten pictures of him and Iron Man cuddling on the couch in the robot's workshop. Not good. He wasn't sure how much the team knew about him and Iron Man before, but now they knew everything. All because Clint put those pictures in the group chat. Thanks, Clint.

Steve threw his phone onto his desk and leaned back, groaning loudly as he rubbed his eyes. He had just spent an entire hour trying to convince the team that he and Iron Man were not dating. Which was true. They cuddled because it was fun. And it calmed them both down. Especially Iron Man, who seemed to be more on edge lately. It wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world, but they made it work. There was absolutely nothing romantic about it. Steve may have made his feelings for the robot very clear, but Iron Man still hadn't come forward with any of his own feelings. Steve's phone buzzed again, causing him to groan once more. His teammates really need to let this go.

It was Natasha. _"So they're sleeping together?"_

 _"Iron Man doesn't have genitals???"_ Bruce responded almost instantly.

 _"We don't know that. ;)"_ Clint texted.  
  
_"This is not what the group_ chat _is for, people."_ Sam had been trying to end the conversation for awhile. Thank you, Sam.

 _"This has been going on for three months. They are definitely sleeping together,"_ Natasha texted.

 _"It's a robot????"_ Bruce was doing his best.

 _"Don't call Iron Man an 'it', that's rude!"_ Clint responded. _"And they could still be fucking. If there's a will there's a way!"_

 _"I'm blocking all of you. You're all awful."_ Steve chuckled at Sam's message, able to perfectly picture the exasperated look on his friend's face.

 _"Hey, Steve! Thor says he supports you guys and wants to know when you're going to court Iron Man. Unless you already have and are hiding it from everyone..._ " Clint texted.

 _"STOP."_ Bucky cut in right them. _"Leave Steve alone!"_

 _"Jealous, Barnes?_ " Clint responded.

 _"You know Iron Man is part of this chat, right?"_ Bucky reminded them.

 _"Since when?"_ Sam asked. _"I didn't know he had a phone."_

 _"Don't need one. Perks of being connected to the internet 24/7."_ Iron Man decided to make his presence known. " _Barton, I'm coming for you. Square up."_

_"You don't know where I am."_

_"Airvents above the laundry room."_

Natasha egged on the robot by saying,  _"Fuck him up!"_

 _"Do NOT."_ Clint pleaded.

_"Too late. On my way. Any last words, you ignorant sack of flesh?"_

Steve decided to switch off his phone. He didn't have to put up with this nonsense. He usually didn't like it when Iron Man picked fights with his teammates, but this time Steve was hoping Iron Man would rough up the archer just enough that he would leave them alone.

* * *

"Fucking shit on a stick!"

"Langauge!"

"FUCK. I swear to god, Cap-"

"Calm down, Iron Man," Bucky cut in.

"Damn bastards!" Iron Man's snarl was directed at the Hydra agents, not Bucky and Steve. It was just the three of them on a mission, raiding a Hydra facility that SHIELD had uncovered up north.

_Whhiiiiirrr_ **BOOM**

Bucky jumped out of the way of the blast. "Watch where you're aiming that thing!"

"There were two guys behind you and I knew you would move," Iron Man assured him.

Bucky let out a long sigh. "Cap, how are things on your end?"

"A little overrun, but nothing I can't handle," Steve responded, his grunts and punches coming through the comms.

"Where are you? I'm on my way," Iron Man was already airborne.

"Don't! Your job is to get the weapons data. Focus on that, then worry about me," Steve instructed.

"Fine, fine," Iron Man flew down a stairwell, heading for where his sensors told him the control room was.

"Be careful," Bucky warned.

"Always am."

"Liar!"

"Don't get your panties in a twist, Winter," Tony blasted his way into the secret room that housed rows upon rows of computers. Ancient computers by Tony's standards. Tony almost had a heart attack when he saw the internet explorer icon on one of the screens. Iron Man scanned the room. No guards in sight. No heat signatures. Strange. Tony took a chip out of a compartment in his forearm and plugged it into one of the computers. "Get me everything, Jarvis."

"Will do, sir." The AI answered.

Iron Man walked around the room while he waited, inspecting the old computers. There was a thick layer of dust over everything.

"I've run into something," Jarvis said. "I'm unable to access the main documents we came here for."

Iron Man went back to the computer. "Let's see what we can do about that," he got to work on typing in lines of code. "These people are smart enough to hide files from me, but not smart enough to upgrade from windows 98? Jesus, Christ." Tony shook his head in disbelief. It took a minute, but Tony did get the files unlocked. "Wait. Hang on...these aren't weapon plans..."

"I believe the Iron Man suit does constitute as a weapon," Jarvis said dryly. Tony's mouth hung open. How did Hydra get their hands on the schematics for his suit? For his _arc reactor_?! Tony's fingers moved like lightning across the keyboard, desperately deleting any traces of the schematics. "Guys, we have a huge problem." Static came through the comms. "Guys?"

"You really shouldn't do that, Tony." A grim voice said from behind him. Tony slowly turned to face...himself? The other suit of armor looked suspiciously like the Mark VI. But with a black and gold paint job. The eyes and the reactor were red. "Hope you don't mind my changes to the design." The masculine voice spoke again.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Tony snarled. He punched the enter key, effectively deleting the last trace of the Iron Man schematics.

"Obadiah Stane," the bot chuckled. Tony stilled. "And who do you think you are? After all these years, still prancing around like a glorified robot."

"You're dead." Tony choked out. "I killed you. How are you here?!" Iron Man took a defensive stance.

"You thought you killed me? Cute." Obediah laughed. "No, you see when the arc reactor blew, I was sent...elsewhere."

Tony's repulsors whirred, but he otherwise remained still. His own armor couldn't detect the other suit in front of him. No heat signatures, no nothing. It was like he was seeing a ghost. And in a way, he was. Obediah was dead. But that suit of armor looked very real. He switched to his robotic eye but still came up with nothing.

"I was hoping you wouldn't come here. This wasn't how the plan was supposed to go. I'd rather kill the Avengers and let you watch-"

"I know. You told me that the first time," Tony snarled.

"Don't interrupt. It's rude," Obediah sneered. "Fuck it. I'm just going to kill you now." He lunged.

* * *

"Iron Man! Iron Man, come in!" Bucky yelled into his comm. He and Steve raced down several flights of steps. The last thing they heard from the robot was him saying that there was a problem. Then the line went dead. That had been almost twenty minutes ago. Twenty minutes were literally anything could have happened to their friend. They were both starting to panic.

Steve used his shield to knock a Hydra agent out of the way. He vaulted over the banister, letting himself drop several floors and using his shield to break his fall. Bucky jumped down after him. Steve slowly rose to his feet, facing the long hallway that led from the stairs. The lights were flickering.

They could hear metal clashing against metal somewhere ahead. Along with the roar of Iron Man's repulsors. The walls shook with one of the more powerful blasts.

Steve held his shield in front of him and crept down the hallway. Bucky walked close behind him, fingers twitching on his gun.

Iron Man suddenly crashed through a wall, tumbling a short distance before using his repulsors to flip himself upright. He shot back into the room without hesitation.

Steve and Bucky rushed over to the gaping hole in the wall.

"What the hell is that?!" Bucky's mouth dropped open at the sight of the other Iron Man. The two bots slammed into each other head first, hands clawing at one another's arc reactors.

"I've had enough of evil robots," Steve charged into the room, throwing his shield at the other bot's head. It knocked the other bot off balance and gave Iron Man the opportunity he needed to rip the reactor right out of his enemies chest. The bot's eyes flickered as it stumbled backward. It whirred like a dying engine before ultimately collapsing.

Iron Man stormed over and ripped the face plate off the bot. The Avenger froze, eyes glued to the contents of the helmet.

Steve leaned over the fallen bot. "Its...empty?"

Iron Man threw the faceplate aside. He ripped open the chest piece with his bare hands. The earlier model of armor didn't stand a chance against the Mark 46. Especially when it was powered down. There was nothing inside the bot. It wasn't even a bot. It was just a suit of armor. Iron Man leaned forward on his hands, with his head bowed. "I don't understand..."

Steve knelt next to him. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I guess this explains why I couldn't detect a human heat signature." Iron Man grumbled. He picked up the red arc reactor, turning it over in his hands. "Destroy it," he held it out to Steve. The super soldier put it on the floor and crushed it with his shield.

"Who was that?" Bucky frowned at the destroyed bot. "And why does it look like you?"

Iron Man shook his head, "they said they were Obadiah."

Steve's brow furrowed, "but he's dead."

"Exactly." Iron Man got to his feet. "He's dead and someone's using his memory to mess with my head." He looked over his shoulders at the computers, most of which had been destroyed in the battle. "Hydra got ahold of my schematics, somehow. I destroyed all their digital records of it. But they could have more hidden somewhere else." Iron Man clenched his fists. "We need to tell Fury."  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had waaaay too much fun writing this chapter.  
> 


	5. Wanted for Murder

"There's nothing more we can do right now, Stark." Nick Fury leaned back in his chair. Tony sat across from him, his helmet placed on the desk between them, its eyes pointed at Fury. Of course, Fury knew who was behind the iron mask. Nothing got past that man.

Tony did not like Fury's answer and opened his mouth to argue, but Fury held up a hand. This was his fifth meeting with Iron Man this week. The director was taking the stolen Iron Man plans very seriously, but with SHIELD still recovering from the Hydra takeover, there was only so much he could do. "I've already ordered the Avengers to be on high alert. All we can do right now is wait for Hydra to rear its ugly head again."

Tony shook his head, "it'll be too late by then." His eyes flicked up to the Director. The sun was setting behind him, casting a soft orange glow on the office, and shadowing Fury's face. The cyborg narrowed his eyes, trying to make out the expression on the other man's face. He couldn't.

"Go home. I'll let you know if anything changes." Fury stood and went to the window. "Don't forget your helmet, Iron Man," he said in an almost mocking tone.

Tony slapped a hand on top of the helmet. When he pulled it towards himself he made sure to make as much noise as possible. Fury didn't even flinch. Tony slipped it over his head and made for the door. Shield agents stepped out of his way as he made for the top deck of the Helicarrier. With the Triskelion destroyed, SHIELD had set up shop on one of the few remaining. Helicarriers.

Tony took his time getting back to the compound, flying several miles out over the ocean, in the opposite direction of the Avengers' home. There was a lot going on and he needed to clear his head. He spent almost an hour flying across the ocean, dipping down low and brushing his fingertips over the sparkling water. The sun had finished setting at this point, and the moon had turned the water silver. He would've kept flying, gone all the way to the other side of the world. It wouldn't take long. A few hours at most. He had done it a few times before when he had gotten so sick of hiding. But now was not the time to run off somewhere. Not when the entire world could be in danger. Tony spun around and shot back the way he had come, flying faster than he had in a long time. The adrenaline pumped through his veins, urging him to go even faster.

He had created Iron Man to save the world, and now that creation was going to be used to destroy it. Tony screamed inside his helmet, letting out all of his pent-up frustration.

Iron Man reached the compound within minutes.

* * *

"Why are you on the floor?" Bucky asked, staring down at Tony. The engineer was hunched over, fiddling with something in his lap. Tools and blueprints were strewn all around him. Bucky wasn't quite sure what he was working on. Something that lit up whenever Tony tugged on a certain wire. "And what happened to your legs?"

Tony paused, looking down where his legs should have been. What remained of his left leg was sticking out of the end of his shorts. The metal plating and cables fused with his flesh were on full display. "They were bothering me. So I took them off."

"Didn't know you could do that."

"It's a pain in the ass, but I can." Tony shrugged. "Can you get me my coffee mug? It's on the workbench." Bucky did as he asked while Tony continued talking. "My arm never causes me this much trouble." Bucky handed Tony the mug, earning a small "thank you" from the cyborg. "And it's hard to walk with them."

That was news to Bucky. Tony was a very active person, always bouncing around from one task to the next, almost always on his feet. Now that he thought about it, Tony did walk with a rather stiff gait. Iron Man, on the other hand, walked smoothly. "You seem to do alright when you wear the armor." His eyes drifted down to Tony's visible stump, and the ugly scar tissue that surrounded the metal connectors.

"Because the armor is the one doing the walking. My legs are just dead weight inside it," Tony explained. He took a long sip of the now cold coffee.

"Why not build new legs if they cause you so much grief?"

"I did. These are my tenth pair. The legs themselves aren't the problem." Tony tapped one of the cables sticking out of his thigh. "It's what they're connected to. We were limited to what the Ten Rings brought into the caves. It was all Stark Tech that they brought us. So we had some good stuff, but we used that to fix the important parts of my body first. By the time we got to my legs we were left with nothing but rotten parts from the scrap bin. I could've done something to fix it when I got home. But I was more focused on other parts," Tony's hand ghosted over his facial prosthetic. "I didn't act fast enough and the flesh healed up around the connectors. I don't have the medical knowledge I need to take everything apart and start fresh. Not without damaging my legs even more."

Bucky listened intently while looking at Tony's leg sadly. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Tony shook his head. He continued to work on the...thing...in his lap, the green lights attached to it faded in and out.

Bucky watched him work for a minute longer before settling down behind him. He took a small book, some sci-fi thing Clint had recommended, out of his jacket pocket. The two men leaned against one another's backs as they focused on their different tasks. They fell into the comfortable silence that Bucky was accustomed to whenever he visited Tony. According to Steve, Iron Man used to blast heavy metal in his workshop. But that was back when they lived in the tower. Bucky wondered why he stopped.

* * *

"That's not what the toaster is for, Thor!" Steve wrestled the appliance out of his friend's hands.

"What's-" Clint poked his head in the kitchen. "Nevermind. I don't want to know."

"I was merely trying to pop the corn!" Thor defended himself. Several bags of popcorn lay on the counter, next to a pile of unpopped kernels, which Steve had dumped out of the toaster just in time.

"Use the microwave!" Steve fumbled with the toaster, trying to get it plugged back in.

"Iron Man has forbidden me from using the microwave," Thor explained.

"Good," Clint sighed in relief. "We have enough fires around her as it is."

"If I remember correctly, you are the one starting most of the fires," Steve rolled his eyes.

"Actually, Iron Man has started more fires than me and Thor combined!" Clint pointed an accusing finger at the captain. "I've been keeping track!"

"I'm not the one who set the lawn on fire. Twice." Iron Man appeared behind Clint, with Bucky at his side. Clint stuck his tongue out at the robot. "Mature." Iron Man tilted his head up as if he were rolling his eyes. "I'll make the popcorn, Thor. Go find Bruce."

Thor hurried out of the room, a big smile on his face. Steve was hesitant about leaving Iron Man, Clint, and Bucky alone in a room together. Someone needed to let Sam and Nat know it was a time for game night, so Steve decided to take his chances and left the three to their own devices.

* * *

 

"He shouldn't be allowed to play," Clint said a bit later. "He knows too much." That was his argument against Iron Man every game night. The Avengers were currently on the floor, surrounding the coffee table. There was a bowl of popcorn of either end of the table and a stack of games on the couch behind Natasha.

"It's just Uno, birdbrain," Iron Man slapped his card down. "Skip."

"Rude," Bucky leaned back against the couch, arms crossed over his chest. Bruce calmly placed down his card and nodded for Sam to take his turn.

"Why don't we play 'cards against humanity'?" Natasha suggested.

"With a robot? That'll just be depressing," Clint laughed.

"I'm not here to take over the world," Iron Man groaned. There had been a lot of shots taken at him tonight, and Tony was getting tired of it. Yes, he was a bot. Shut up already. Tony smiled when an idea popped into his head. A very bad idea. He snapped his head in Clint's direction. Iron Man growled, "yet," while he turned the eyes of his helmet red. It was a new feature and he wasn't 100% sure it would work, but apparently, it did, judging by Clint's reaction.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" The archer yelped, falling backward in a tangle of limbs.

Tony switched his eyes back to their normal blue and threw his head back with laughter. Iron Man's laughter was a strange thing. The speakers didn't pick up the sound quite right, turning it into an odd sort of clicking noise. It had taken the Avengers awhile to figure out that the clicking was meant to be laughter.

"That's just mean," Clint threw his cards at the bot.

Steve nudged Iron Man's leg. "Play nice, shellhead." Iron Man kept laughing, the clicking sound was like music to Steve's ears. He knew how depressed the robot had been since the tower fell, and for awhile he was worried that he would never hear the other's laughter again. Steve did find the joke rather amusing and allowed himself a small smile.

* * *

Iron Man crashed through the roof of the warehouse, the concrete floor crumbling under his feet. He held both repulsors up, multiple smaller guns and lasers unfolding from his arms and shoulders.

The enemy unloaded their bullets, many of them screaming as they did so. Iron Man didn't even flinch. He spun around once, mowing down the gunmen with his lasers. The lasers had been aimed at their legs. As much as Tony hated these people, he didn't want to kill anyone. Pitiful groaning and crying echoed around the large room.

"Took you long enough," Steve was chained to a chair, blood dripping from various cuts.

"Don't complain about the person saving your ass," Iron Man stalked over to his friend. "Jesus, Cap. How did you get yourself into this mess?" His scanners told him that the chains were made of vibranium. Fantastic.

"Long story. Thanks for the save, Shellhead." Steve smiled up at him.

"Don't thank me yet," Iron Man grumbled as he fiddled with the chains. "Where's your shield?" Steve jerked his head over his shoulder, and Iron Man followed his gaze to where the shield was leaned against the wall. The robot used it to break the chains. He wasted no time scooping Steve into his arms and flying out of the hole in the roof. Once they were a safe distance away, Iron Man set the captain down and scanned him for injuries. "No internal bleeding. Though, we should probably take you to SHIELD medical, just in case."

Steve shook his head, "I'm fine." Iron Man scanned him again. His teammate didn't have any serious injuries, but Tony was still worried. Steve took Iron Man's hands in his own, "I'm fine. Really."

"You were missing for two days." Iron Man whispered. "Scared the shit out of me. God, Steve, I don't know what I'd do if you...if you had..." He tightened his grip on Steve's hands. "If you died, I would've kicked your ass."

"I'm sorry, I should've been paying closer attention to my surroundings," Steve pulled Iron Man closer, their foreheads almost touching. "Thank you. For rescuing me."

"Anything for you, Steve," Tony smiled softly behind his helmet. The last forty-eight hours had been absolute hell, with the entire team scrambling to find their missing leader. Iron Man sent out a signal to the rest of the team, letting them know he had found Steve and that he would be bringing him back to the compound shortly.

* * *

"Bruce almost Hulked out," Bucky said to Steve a few days later. "When we found your blood, he thought the worst. We all did. But there was no body, so we knew you weren't dead."

Steve leaned forward on his motorcycle, looking out over the cliff. He and Bucky had gone for a ride along the coast, wanting some time to themselves. They paused at a viewing area on the side of the road. Far below them, waves crashed against the rocky cliffside. "I'm sorry I worried you all so much."

Bucky shrugged. "You got captured. We've all been there. I know there wasn't much you could do about it." He undid his short ponytail, allowing his hair to be ruffled by the breeze. "Iron Man loves you." Bucky said suddenly, then added, "he probably would've burned down the entire world if that's what it took to find you."

"I...love him too," Steve kept his eyes glued on the water. In all honesty, he had been slightly worried that the Avengers wouldn't be able to find him. Being confined by vibranium chains had terrified him. The shield, the one thing that could break them, just out of reach. But then Iron Man crashed through the ceiling and all doubt was instantly destroyed. Of course, Iron Man would come for him. He didn't know why he had ever doubted his teammate in the first place. He clearly remembered the warm feeling that had spread across his chest when Iron Man carried him off into the sky. Steve had felt safe in his arms. Loved, even.

"Then you should tell him."

"I already did."

"Wait, what?!" Bucky almost fell off his bike. He grabbed the handlebars to steady himself.

"Well, I didn't outright tell him. But I did kiss him," Steve explained.

"Jesus Christ. Why didn't he tell me that? I'm going to beat his scrawny ass." Bucky grumbled. Steve raised an eyebrow, wondering why Bucky chose to use the word 'scrawny' to describe the bulky robot. "He and I tell each other everything. And I mean everything," Bucky smirked. The look in his eyes clearly said 'I know something you don't'. "Can't believe he didn't tell me you kissed him." Bucky puffed, causing his bangs to flutter out of his face.

"I didn't know you two were so close," Steve smiled softly.

"Steve, you are so oblivious to certain things that its embarrassing. Yes, we're close." Bucky rolled his eyes. "We're a lot alike," he held up his bionic arm, wiggling his fingers with another sly grin. Steve chuckled and punched his shoulder playfully. Bucky ignited his engine. Sand kicked up when he spun his bike around to face the road. "We should head back, sun's gonna be going down soon."

* * *

"I miss your music," Steve said to Iron Man that night.

"I thought you hated heavy metal?" Iron Man crossed his arms.

"I do, but you like it. And it's weird not hearing it anymore. You didn't stop playing it because of me, did you?" Steve frowned. He turned around on the couch, leaning against the armrest with his legs in Iron Man's lap.

"Of course not," Iron Man snorted. "I don't know why I stopped."

Steve's expression saddened. "Is it because you're depressed?"

"I'm not depressed."

"I know what depression looks like. Believe me, I know," Steve whispered, his eyes went out of focus for a brief moment as he got lost in a memory. He shook himself out of it. "Depression makes you lose interest in the things you used to enjoy doing. Like listening to music, for example..."

"Robots don't get depression." Iron Man scoffed. 

"If you can feel pain, then I see no reason why you wouldn't be able to get depressed." Steve frowned. "It's okay if you are. Everyone on the team is dealing with their own demons."

"I don't want to have this conversation," Iron Man looked away.

"Okay," Steve nodded slowly. "I'm here for you if you change your mind."

"...thank you."

Steve smiled at his friend, before grabbing the remote off the coffee table. "What do you want to watch?"

"I don't care."

"Iron Giant it is."

Iron Man threw his head back and groaned. "Not again."

Steve laughed, "then pick something."

Iron Man drummed his fingers on the armrest, thinking for a few minutes. "You still haven't seen Star Wars, have you?"

* * *

  
The Avengers looked between one another in a mix of worry and intrigue. They had been called to the Hellicarrier for a meeting with the director, and had been told to bring Iron Man with them. Steve found that a little odd, considering Iron Man always accompanied them on team meetings. He was an Avenger, so why wouldn't he? But Fury was very adamant that they brought the robot. The robot in question was sitting next to Steve and hadn't spoken a single word since they arrived on the Hellicarrier.

"Where's the fire?" Clint joked when Fury and Maria's hill entered the room, several SHIELD agents following close behind. The agents positioned themselves at the doors and windows of the conference room, holding their guns over their chests.

Fury sent Clint a look that made it very clear that the situation, whatever it may be, was not a joking matter.

Iron Man leaned forward, "is this about-"

"No," Fury shut him down with a cold look. "I suggest you watch yourself, Iron Man. Because I'm about five seconds away from arresting you for murder." That definitely got a response out of the Avengers, who erupted into frantic questions.

"Excuse me?!" Iron Man bolted upright, knocking over his chair in the process. All guns instantly pointed at the robot. One of the agents took a step forward, holding an electrified stick.

"You heard me. Sit down." Fury snapped. Iron Man hesitated before righting his chair and taking a seat. "Now, you wanna explain this bullshit to me?" The screen at the front of the room switched on, displaying several photos of murder victims. Justin Hammer was among the dead. Upon closer inspection, Tony realized that he knew all of them. They had all been either competitors of Stark Industries, or people who had personal grudges against Tony Stark and vice versa. "Recognize anyone?" Fury sneered.

"Of course. That doesn't mean I killed them," Iron Man said.

"Really? Funny." Fury zoomed in on one of the photos. The person had been shot through the gut by a repulsor. There was no other explanation for that type of wound. "Because I beg to differ." He flipped through the images one at a time, each of them bearing injuries caused by repulsors. "Not many people in the world have access to repulsor technology. If I'm not mistaken, there's actually only one. And I'm looking right at him." Fury laid his hands out flat on the table as he glared directly at Iron Man. "You know what else I find funny?" He motioned to the screen behind him. "I find it funny that all these people used to be against Tony Stark. Looking for a bit of vengeance, are we?"

"Iron Man would never do something like that!" Steve burst out. He was gripping the armrests of his chair so tight his knuckles turned white.

"Wouldn't murder go against his programming?" Natasha put in, using a much calmer tone than Steve.

"And he doesn't leave the compound unless he's with one of us," Bruce pointed out. "When would he have done all this?"

"You know someone stole my schematics," Iron Man reminded Fury. "They already built one working bot. Who's to say they couldn't do it again? Don't you see that I've been framed?!"

"You're very right. But why would Hydra want to kill Stark's enemies? Most of these people were known Hydra sympathizers. Howard Stark was on Hydra's hit list, and I imagine his son was too. Also," Fury nodded to Maria Hill, who took a small object out of her pocket. She reached over Iron Man's shoulder in order to set it on the table before him. It was some sort of computer chip connected to frayed wires. "You removed your tracker. Threw it in the ocean. When was that exactly?"

"About a week ago, sir," Maria answered him.

"And when did the killings start?"

"About a week ago," Maria was glaring at Iron Man now. Fury looked to Iron Man for an explanation.

"I took it out because I don't like big brother watching me," Iron Man flicked the offending object across the table. The world security council had agreed to let Iron Man roam freely on the condition that a tracker be placed in him. That had been back when they first found him seven years ago and didn't know if they could trust him. Tony had made sure it was put in his prosthetic arm to ensure his identity be kept a secret. He hated the tracker from day one, as it made him feel more trapped than he already did. Tony ended up tearing it out when he was flying over the ocean last week. He had meant to go back for it, but had forgotten to do so. "I figured by now that I'd proven myself to you people. And that I could go without it for awhile."

"Or because you didn't want us knowing you were going around killing people," Maria hissed.

"This is extremely unfair," Bruce spoke up. "We all know Iron Man isn't programmed to kill-"

"He's a living weapon. He's said so himself on multiple occasions," Fury reminded them. "Iron Man is known to disobey orders, despite his so-called "programming" saying that that isn't possible. Not to mention the head trauma he received six months ago. Colonel Rhodes refuses to release a statement about the extent of the damage, but he did say a few wires came lose, and that they had trouble piecing you back together," Fury's glare landed on Iron Man once more. "Even Captain Rogers has said that you've been acting differently since then. I can pull up his reports to prove it." 

"Fury, you know me. You know I wouldn't go around killing people for the hell of it." Iron Man motioned wildly with his hands, desperately trying to get Fury to see reason.

"I thought I did know you, but clearly I don't. Allow me to show you the last piece of evidence," he stepped out of the way of the screen.

Security footage started playing. It was of Justin Hammer's murder, which happened in his own home, right before he went to bed that night. Iron Man showed up and blasted a hole through his abdomen. Tony's blood ran cold. Hydra had stolen the plans for the Mark Six. But that wasn't the mark six that had killed Hammer. It was the forty-six. Iron Man's current model. The robot on the screen looked up at the security camera, its eyes glowing menacingly in the dimly lit room. It raised its repulsor and shot the camera.

Iron Man slowly looked back at his teammates. They were all staring at him in horror. Steve had a look on his face that could only be described as broken. Bucky refused to look at him.

"That...that wasn't me, I swear it wasn't..." Iron Man's voice shook out. None of the Avengers tried to defend him this time.

"Guards, please take Iron Man to the Hulk room. We will hold him there until the council decides whether or not to terminate him," Fury instructed, standing back so that the guards could get by.

"Terminate?" Steve choked out. The look in his eyes made Tony feel like someone had stabbed him right through the heart. He wished someone actually had.

"Don't do this, Nick," Iron Man pleaded as the guards forced him to his feet.

"I had high hopes for you, Stark," Fury's voice was just above a whisper. "I hate to do this. But you leave me no choice." The director reached for Tony's helmet.

"NO!" Tony panicked, shoving the director back. Out of the corner of his eye he saw both Steve and Bucky jump to their feet. He spun around, pushing the agents away. "DON'T TOUCH ME." Iron Man backed into the wall, repulsors raised.

"Man of Iron, please stand down," Thor standing now, giving him the same heartbroken look as everyone else.

Tony's eyes flicked around the room. "I'm sorry." His jet boots ignited and he shot through the opposite window before anyone could stop him. The people nearest it ducked to avoid the shattered glass.

"SHIT!" Fury reached into his jacket and pressed something. Alarms blared all throughout the Hellicarier. The agents bolted out of the room, with Maria shouting orders into her comm. "Do not let him leave this aircraft!" Fury said to the Avengers before following his agents.

Everyone looked to Steve, awaiting his orders.

"I don't...I can't believe this, that he would..." Clint hadn't moved from his chair.

"I don't either. Which is why we're going to get Iron Man out of here," Steve explained. "Bruce, Natasha, go get a Quinjet ready. The rest of us will go after Iron Man. I doubt they'll be able to contain him in this tin can for very long." Iron Man was not a murderer. He couldn't be. Despite the evidence stacked against him, Steve still trusted his robot. 

"Wait, we're helping him escape?" Sam blinked. "We just watched him straight up murder a guy-"

"We don't know for sure if that was him." Bucky cut in. "If we let SHIELD get to Iron Man, they'll kill him on the spot. They'd never give a robot a fair trial. Especially not after him making a run for it."

Steve nodded in agreement, "I understand if any of you are against helping Iron Man. But the clock is ticking. So if you're going to help, then follow me." Steve picked up his shield. One by one everyone got to their feet.

An explosion rocked the Hellicarrier.

"We need to move. Now." Steve ran from the room. His teammates followed, all of them determined to save their friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hold onto your butts cause the next chapter is gonna be wild...


	6. Love Confessions and Being Stupid

_"Go, go, go, go!"_ Tony's mind screamed at him. He was in panic mode. Complete and utter panic. What was he supposed to do? Where was he supposed to go? He blasted his way through another wall, ignoring the screams of the people on the other side. Agents were hard on his heels, unloading round after round of bullets. Normal bullets did little against the armor, and Tony continued to surge forward. The look Steve had given him made his heart twist. Made it hard to breathe. Steve thought he was a murderer now. The whole team did. The people who he considered family were after his head now. They were going to strip him of his armor, and then they would hate him even more than they already did. Everything was crumbling and Tony didn't know what to do. He broke through the ceiling, flying up onto the top deck of the Hellicarrier. Rain splattered against him. The alarms were still blaring.

"Jarvis, call Pepper! Scratch that, call Rhodey!" Tony yelled.

"Right away, Sir," an image of Rhodey appeared in the corner of the HUD. Tony spiraled into the sky, narrowly avoiding the projectiles being shot at him.

"Hey, Tones, what's up?" Rhodey answered cheerfully.

"I need your help! SHIELD is after me! They think-ARGH!!" An anti-aircraft gun blasted Tony out of the sky before he could finish. He crashed with a boom, the pavement cracking under him. Tony's vision swam for a moment. He then realized how dangerously close he was to the edge. The ocean churned far below, the storm wreaking havoc on the waves.

"Iron Man!" Captain America was running towards him, shield in one hand and the other outstretched for Tony.

"Tony! Jarvis sent me your location, I'm on my way, just hang on!" Rhodey said urgently.

For a moment, Iron Man was frozen in place, his eyes locked on Steve. Thunder crashed, illuminating the soldier's anger stricken face. Steve made a grab for Tony, but he quickly shot sideways across the deck. "Iron Man!" Steve pleaded, expression shifting into something that Tony couldn't quite make out.

"I don't want to fight you, Steve!" Tony took a defensive stance but refused to activate any of his weapons.

"I don't want to fight either. But I need you to come with me-"

"I'm not a murderer!" Tony shouted over the rain. Agents were pouring onto the top deck, this time with weapons capable of matching Iron Man's. An electrified whip circled around his neck, yanking him to the ground. The rope ate through the top layer of his armor. Iron Man fought to stand up, but didn't get very far before a second whip wrapped around his upper body and force him to his knees. The HUD flashed red. Part of the rope managed to slice right through the bicep of the armor, burning Tony's arm and causing him to cry out.

"STOP!" Steve screamed, "you're hurting him!"

"That's the point," Maria hill stepped forward, gun pointed at Iron Man's head. The bullet wouldn't do any damage, but she still felt compelled to point some form of weapon at the robot.

The shield was flung at the agents holding the whips, effectively disarming them. Steve caught the shield and glared at Maria. "That's _enough_." Iron Man ripped the now useless ropes off his body. Steve winced at the deep cuts they had left in his armor.

"He's a murderer-"

"You don't know that!" Steve shot back. Tony forced himself to look up at Steve, ignoring the pain that shot through his neck when he did so. Was the super soldier really defending him? "I know Iron Man. He's not a killer." He sent Iron Man a reassuring smile.

"Our evidence says otherwise," Maria flicked her hand. A third whip snapped around Tony's throat and yanked him back several feet.

Tony choked out a scream. The already damaged armor around his neck offered little protection. Electricity quickly bit down to his flesh. Tony clawed at the rope. It was too tight. Too hot. _No! I'm not going down like this! I didn't fly a goddamn nuke through a portal in the sky just to be choked to death!_ Steve was screaming, but Tony couldn't make out what he was saying over the crackle of the rope. Tony lashed out, blinding slicing one of his lasers through the air. He must have met his target because the rope loosened just enough for him to shoot back into the sky.

Steve watched the robot climb into the air, sparks shooting out of the tears in his body. "Natasha, please tell me you have that Quinjet ready," Steve said into his comm.

"Yup. Get ready to jump, Cap!" Widow responded. Seconds later he heard the roar of a Quinjet flying towards them. The agents dove out of the way as the jet surged across the deck. The hanger door was open, and Steve jumped in at the last possible second. Clint had to grab onto him and pull him all the way in.

"Where's he going?!" Bucky yelled. He was leaning against the pilot's chair, looking out the windshield. The rain made it difficult to see their surroundings, but the red and gold robot led the way. He was flying at breakneck speed, desperately trying to put as much distance between him and the Helicarrier as possible. Falcon and Thor were flying ahead of the jet, quickly gaining on the robot. Iron Man glanced back and automatically increased his speed when he saw the Avengers tailing him.

"Anywhere but here...Clint, try to establish communication with him!" Steve ordered.

"Already on it Cap!"

"We have company!" Bruce called out. He was keeping an eye on the monitors, which had just picked up three other Quinjets.

"I have contact!" Clint announced, handing the headset over to the team leader. He remained close to Steve, listening in on the conversation.

"Iron Man!" Steve called. "Listen, we're on your side!"

"I know you are. What about the rest of the rest of the Avengers?" Iron Man didn't sound very convinced.

Clint grabbed the headset, "Iron Man, you're part of this team-no. Scratch that. You are part of this family. This very fucked up family that loves you very much. We know you're not a murderer. We're going to get you out of here, buddy."

There was silence on the other end.

Steve took the headset back. "Iron Man, please trust us. We're going to clear your name and bring the real killer to justice, but first, we need to get you to safety. SHIELD is still on your tail, and we both know that they don't negotiate."

"...Okay."

Steve sighed in relief. "I need you to slow down so we can pick you up. We'll go into stealth mode once you're on board."

Iron Man started to pull back. Steve's heart dropped into his stomach when a missile struck Iron Man in the back, sending him spiraling down to the ocean far below. Thor and Falcon dove for him. But they weren't fast enough, and the robot crashed into the waves.

"Iron Man?!" Steve said into the headset.

Static.

"Iron Man! Come in, Iron Man!" Steve practically yelled.

"SHIT!" Natasha jerked the Quinjet to the side, right as War Machine shot past. He took a sharp turn downward, going straight into the water. Thor and Falcon hovered just above the waves, watching nervously.

"C'mon, punk..." Bucky gripped the back of the pilot's chair.

After what felt like hours, but was only seconds, War Machine burst out of the water. With Iron Man cradled in his arms. Steve let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. Natasha followed War Machine as he flew across the ocean. More missiles were fired, but he managed to avoid all of them. The other Quinjets were getting dangerously close. Natasha was able to match his speed and lowered the jet down to his level. War Machine and the two airborne avengers darted into the back of the aircraft. As soon as the door closed, Natasha activated stealth mode.

The enemy Quinjets had no choice but to turn back.

Natasha put on the autopilot and slumped in her chair. "That's enough excitement for one day..." She looked over her shoulder to see her teammates crowding around War Machine, who was still holding Iron Man in his arms. The robot's eyes were dark. Natasha grimaced at the damage done to his armor. War Machine carefully laid Iron Man out on the floor.

Steve reached out to touch the robot but Rhodey smacked his hand away. "I'm scanning him. Don't interfere."

"I'm fine, honey bear," Iron Man's voice was weak.

"Like hell you are," Rhodey shook his head in disbelief. "Shoulda called me sooner." He slipped an arm under Iron Man's shoulders and pulled the bot close to his chest. Iron Man remained limp, allowing War Machine to move him as he pleased. "Jesus..." He tilted Iron Man's head back, inspecting the damage done to his neck. The metal plating was charred to hell, with motor oil and other liquids seeping out of the deep cuts.

"Is he going to be okay?" Steve knelt next to them, putting a hand over Iron Man's. The bot turned his hand over and linked their fingers together. His eyes were still dark, and it concerned Steve greatly.

"I think so. This is going to be difficult to fix, but I think I can do it," Rhodey said softly.

"I'll help," Iron Man said.

"No, you won't. You're going to be a good robot and sit still while Pepper and I patch you up. Understood?" Rhodey flipped his faceplate up so that he could give the bot a pointed look.

"Bossy, bossy." Iron Man scoffed. "Lay me down, you're hurting my neck."

"Now who's being bossy?" Rhodey chuckled but did as his friend asked. "Can you move at all?" His scans hadn't shown any damage to Tony's spine, but that didn't keep him from worrying.

Iron Man held up his middle finger. Steve quickly slapped his hand down.

"Wonderful," Rhodey sighed. "Now. Anybody want to tell me what the hell just happened?"

* * *

  
"I didn't know this place existed," Clint mused as he leaned against the balcony that overlooked the rocky mountains. There wasn't any civilization around for miles.

"That's the point," Rhodey rolled his eyes. "This place used to be Tony's. He left it to me when he died. But I don't have much use for a mansion." He explained. The cabin wasn't quite as big as the Stark residence in Malibu, but it was still larger than life, with a fully functioning workshop underground. The home obviously hadn't been used in a long time. A thick layer of dust covered the surfaces, tarps protected the furniture, and the windows were absolutely filthy. "Pepper is on her way. She's going to bring food and the tools to fix Iron Man. Tony hasn't been here since the 90's, so the workshop is a bit out of date." He announced. "How you hanging in, buddy?"

"Not dead yet, so that's that," Iron Man groaned. They had laid him out on the couch as soon as they arrived. Rhodey wouldn't be able to patch him up with the others breathing down his neck. It was obvious that Tony was in pain, But Rhodey wasn't too worried. His scans showed that Tony wasn't in need of any immediate medical attention. Plus the armor was proving him with enough painkillers to take the edge off, so they could afford to wait. Tony felt like his head had been ripped from his body and kept poking at it to make sure it was still attached. Steve took hold of one of his hands when he made a move to do so again. Steve's other hand hovered over Iron Man's throat, gentle fingers fluttering over the cuts. The motor oil had turned everything black, and he couldn't get a good look at the damage. "I'm okay, Steve," Tony whispered, noticing the concerned look on his friend's face.

"You don't look okay..." Steve sighed, eyes following the oil that had run down his chest.

Bucky watched them from a distance. He felt sick whenever he looked at the oil. Another second with that rope around Tony's neck and that oil would've been blood. Bucky shuddered. He didn't want to think of the injured man trapped in the armor. Not right now. "How are we going to help Tony without Steve knowing?" Bucky whispered to Rhodey.

Rhodey tripped over his own feet at the use of Iron Man's real name. "You know?"

Bucky nodded slowly. "Found out by accident. Thought someone broke into Iron Man's workshop," he chuckled at the memory. "But it was just Tony being a dumbass. Seriously, though. How are we going to do this?"

"You're going to have to distract him."

"How?" Bucky looked back over at his friends. Steve was sitting on the coffee table, holding Iron Man's hand tightly in his own. His free hand was stroked Iron Man's helmet, in an attempt to sooth the robot. Bucky sighed. That idiot was so hopelessly in love with Iron Man. Getting them to separate would be no easy task.

"You're his best friend. Figure it out." Rhodey eyed the rest of the Avengers clustered around the couch. Once Pepper arrived, she could distract the others with food or other means. Pepper always knew what to do.

* * *

Pepper arrived a few hours later. Bruce helped her carry in bags of food, tools, and other supplies. Clint and Natasha had already left to investigate the murders, and it didn't take much to get the rest of the Avengers away from Iron Man. Steve, however, was another story. It was absolute hell trying to get him to leave Iron Man's side.

Bucky looked over the food Pepper had brought. He picked up a potato and tossed it between his hands, debating on whether or not he should chuck it at Steve's head. Maybe it would knock some sense into the super soldier. In the end, Bucky cooked up a meal that was very reminiscent of something he and Steve would've eaten back in their army days. The meal was by no means pleasant, but the familiar smell alone was enough to grab Steve's attention. Rhodey took Iron Man downstairs once Steve vanished into the kitchen.

* * *

Steve lounged in a chair on the balcony, deep in thought. The sun had set a while ago, and the cool night air ruffled Steve's short hair. Steve was out here in an attempt to calm his nerves. But the silence just guided his thoughts back to the events of today. Steve pinched the bridge of his nose when he thought about the absolute mess they had all found themselves in. Pepper assured him that everything would work out, and Steve wanted to believe that, but he still had his doubts. He pushed his concerns to the back of his mind and tried to relax. But the soldier found himself unable to do so. His mind once again wandered to the memory of Iron Man writhing in pain, with the electrified rope cutting through his throat. Iron Man's agonized scream echoed in his head. Steve shuddered.

"Nice night out, huh?"

Steve jumped at the sound of Iron Man's voice. He looked over his shoulder to see the robot leaning in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest. How long had he been there?

"I suppose," Steve said softly as the robot stepped out into the moonlight. Unpainted scraps of titanium alloy had been welded over the cuts in his armor. The oil had been scrubbed from his chest and throat, but there was still a noticeable brown stain on the paint. "How are you feeling?"

"I've felt worse," Iron Man shrugged. "I have a plan, by the way."

"I'm all ears."

"So first, I'm going to launch myself into orbit, hang out with some hot aliens for a few months, then-"

"Please take this seriously," Steve punched his arm.

"Okay, okay. I'll just fling myself straight into the sun instead. That'll solve all our problems."

"You're unbelievable," Steve let his head fall back against the chair and screwed his eyes shut. He could hear Iron Man clicking with laughter, but chose to ignore it. Steve got up and moved over to edge of the balcony. He drummed his fingers on the railing. Looking up, he could clearly see every single star in the sky. The full moon washed over the mountains with more light than Steve thought possible. After living in New York for two years, Steve had forgotten what the sky really looked like. It was comforting in a way, with there being no light pollution to hide the constellations from him.

"We'll figure this out," Iron Man said.

"Aren't I the one who's supposed to be reassuring you?"

"Oh, please. I haven't seen you this tense since the battle of New York."

"My closest friend was just wrongly accused of murder, so sue me for being a little upset," Steve huffed. "They could've killed you today. And no one would've been held accountable since you're a robot." He threw out his arms for emphasis. Iron Man took hold of the hand closest to him and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"Those bastards are going to have to try a lot harder if they want to kill me. They only got a few good hits in today because I wasn't thinking straight." They stood in silence for a long time after that, their fingers interlocked.

Steve looked over at the robot, his armor turned a pale maroon color in the moonlight. "I love you."

"Remember that time you, Thor and I beat each other up in that forest?" Iron Man mused.

Steve tilted his head, "yeah...? What brought that up?"

Iron Man pointed at the trees below them. "Those. They remind me of that. Good times."

"Good times," Steve chuckled. He thought back on when he and Iron Man first met, back when he thought there was an actual person in the armor. An arrogant, hot-headed, disaster of a human being, but a human being none the less. He glanced down at their hands with a soft smile. He still considered Iron Man a hot-headed jerk at times, but he was also Steve's closest friend, and he didn't want to think about what his life would be like if they hadn't met. "I love you."

"You shouldn't." Iron Man refused to look at him.

"But I do."  
  
There was a long moment of silence before Iron Man turned to face him. "I can't show you affection like a human can. You know that."

"I don't care," Steve shrugged. "I'm not very good with the touchy-feely stuff."

"Says the man who comes to my workshop just to cuddle on the couch," Iron Man tilted his head up in the way that Steve associated with eye rolling.

"You're right. But I was referring to sex."

"Is that something you want? Because I can't give you that either," Iron Man said.

"Like I said, I don't care. There's more to love than just sexual attraction. And I'm not attracted to you like that anyway. I love you for you. And I'm content with just being at your side." Steve lowered his gaze and traced his index finger over the lines on Iron Man's palm.

"Steve. I'm a ticking time bomb. Literally," Iron Man tapped his arc reactor. "A fucking lose canon. You saw what I did to my workshop earlier this year."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Steve frowned.

"I'm a living weapon. Built with only two purposes. Fight. And protect. That's it. That's the sole purpose for my existence. I'm not supposed to have a 'normal' life with a family or anything like that. I'm not supposed to be loved." Iron Man looked away.

"That's what Stark told you?" Steve practically growled.

Iron Man nodded.

"That bastard," Steve spat. Iron Man flinched. "Sorry, I don't mean to disrespect your creator. But just because he made you with only one purpose in mind, doesn't mean you can't go beyond that. You didn't stick with the look he gave you, so why do you have to stick with any of his other plans? Heck, you already have a family that loves you. Why won't you let yourself be with someone special?" Steve shifted closer to him.

"I don't deserve you, Steve." Iron Man looked down at himself, "And you deserve someone...human."

Steve gently tilted his head back up. "You don't need a beating heart to be human, shellhead. Being human is all about who you are as an individual. Humans are people who love one another, care for each other, protect those they love and even those they don't. Humans are self-sacrificing, self-destructive, jerks that just want others to be happy. You're more human than most of us." Iron Man was silent, blue eyes locked onto Steve's. "You deserve so much love, so much happiness. Let me give those things to you."

Iron Man put their foreheads together. "God, Steve. You're such a fucking sap. But I love you. And I do want to be with you. I just don't know how this is going to work."

"We'll figure it out. Together." Steve cupped Iron Man's cheek with his hand, and Iron Man leaned into his touch. Behind the mask, Tony was smiling.

* * *

Bucky set a plate of pancakes and a glass of milk on the nightstand. "You need to eat, Tony." The lump of blankets on the bed groaned. The only thing visible of the cyborg was a few tufts of black hair on the pillow. "C'mon, punk," Bucky nudged his shoulder. There weren't any hidden rooms in the cabin, so Tony had shared a bed with the soldier last night. Which resulted in a lot of kicking one another in the shins and wrestling for the blankets.

"Five more minutes," Tony didn't budge.

"It's almost noon. Steve will be back soon," Bucky put his hands on his hips.

"Steve?"

"Yes, Steve." Their leader had gone to meet with Fury early in the morning, wanting to sort out this mess as soon as possible. "You want to see your boyfriend, don't you? And I'm sure he's gonna want to see you too."

"Mmmm...nope." Tony burrowed further into the blankets. "And he's not my boyfriend."

"Sure he's not," Bucky rolled his eyes. He gave Tony the five minutes he had asked for, but ultimately stomped back over to the bed and yanked the blankets off. Tony yelped in surprise, instinctively curling himself into a tight ball. It was a rather brisk morning, and Bucky felt a little bad about doing that. But Tony needed to get going. "Glad to see you kept your pants on for once."

"Fuck off, Barnes!" Tony threw a pillow at him. He noticed the milk on the nightstand and gulped down every last drop. The cold liquid feeling good against his abused throat. Tony asked for more, but Bucky brought him water instead, figuring that it was probably better for him.

"You smell like smoke," Bucky commented when Tony finished eating.

"Thanks, it's the third-degree burns." Tony rubbed the thick bandages on his throat. The same bandages covered his upper arm, but those were hidden by his sleeve. Tony ached all over. His head felt heavy and he wanted to sleep for the next week.

Bucky looked out the window upon hearing a motorcycle engine. "He's back. Go shower. I'll hold him off."

"I'd rather sleep."

"Water will help your neck," Bucky unwound the bandages from his throat. He gently turned Tony's head in his hands, inspecting the burns. Not much had changed in twenty-four hours. Tony swatted his hands away, not liking being poked at. "Go," Bucky shoved him towards the bathroom. Tony gave him puppy dog eyes. "Fine," Bucky groaned. "You can sleep. But shower first."

Tony scurried off to the bathroom, a smug look on his face.

Bucky shook his head and leaned against the window sill. Steve was talking to Pepper in the driveway. He didn't look happy. And neither did she. Bucky wasn't sure how he was going to keep hiding Iron Man from him. Luckily, it seemed as though he didn't have to. Pepper had him trade in his shield for an ax and sent him to go chop up some firewood. Bucky waited until he heard the shower running before leaving the room, making sure to lock the door behind him.

* * *

  
"I take it the meeting didn't go well?" Bucky leaned against a tree, watching Steve aggressively chopping wood. The soldier hadn't even bothered to completely change out of his Captain America uniform, the top part of the uniform having been discarded on a log.

"You could say that," Steve brought the ax down on an unsuspecting log with way more force than necessary. "Apparently Fury still wants to trust Iron Man. He wants to give him a fair trial, and all that fun stuff. But the world security council has other plans." He kicked the two halves of wood into the pile. "The World Security Council never trusted Iron Man. I don't know if you knew that."

"I didn't," Bucky crossed his arms. "But that doesn't surprise me."

Steve let out a deep sigh. "They've been after him ever since the army found him wandering the desert. They wanted to take him apart and study him. But Rhodes and Pepper wouldn't allow that. When they couldn't have their way with Iron Man, they started viewing him as an active threat and did everything in their power to shut him down. Fury put him on the Avengers team without their consent."

"I'm guessing him carrying their nuke through that portal just made them even pissier," Bucky huffed.

Steve nodded as he set another log on the chopping block. "Iron Man saved thousands. And the world fell in love with him." Bucky smiled softly at that. He knew that Iron Man used to be hated, what with being Tony Stark's ultimate weapon of destruction. But after the Chitauri things were different. On the rare occasions that Iron Man was seen in public, people swarmed around him, showering him with admiration. Kids in particular really seemed to like him. And honestly, what kid wouldn't love a robot superhero? "There would've been a huge outcry if the council went through with their plans to shut him down." Steve went on, "I haven't heard anything from them since, so I had figured they finally accepted that Iron Man was here to stay." He brought down the ax with a grunt, startling a nearby crow. Bucky watched as it fluttered up into the trees. "And then some asshole had to go put on a mask and ruin everything."

The was no more wood to chop after that, so Steve sat down on top of his log pile, putting his head in his hands. Bucky took a seat next to him.

"Fury gave me his word that he wouldn't pursue Iron Man. On the condition that Iron Man turn himself in by the end of the week." Steve sighed. "That's how long the council gave Fury to arrest Iron Man. He said that once the week is up, not even he can stop whatever horrors the council decides to unleash on Iron Man. But if he turns himself in they'll literally tear him apart. Either way, Iron Man is a dead man walking."

"We'd protect him," Bucky straightened up.

"We'll be arrested too if we're caught aiding a fugitive. We'll all get sent to the Raft and that will be the end of the Avengers."

"You're saying we shouldn't protect our own?"

"That's not what I'm saying," Steve said quickly. "I'm saying we're going to have to be smart about this. We'll have to lay low and pray that Natasha and Clint will be able to find evidence of Iron Man's innocence in time." The two assassins had left to find answers last night, but no one had heard from them since.

Bucky nodded, "if that's the case, then I'm going to go look too. I'll take Sam with me. See if we can investigate any of the crime scenes for ourselves."

"I'll come with you-"

"No. You need to stay here with your bot," Bucky flicked his forehead, earning a glare from the captain. "Hulk, Thor and War Machine are our heavy hitters, so obviously they need to stay here in case SHIELD shows up. And if that happens then you'll need to be here to talk sense into people."

"I thought the team captain was the one who was supposed to be calling the shots?" Steve joked, despite agreeing with Bucky's plan of action.

"You can go back to calling the shots when you stop acting like a lovesick puppy," Bucky rolled his eyes.

* * *

Later that day Steve spotted Iron Man and Rhodey huddled in the living room, talking amongst themselves in hushed voices. His super-hearing picked up bits of their conversation. He pieced together that Iron Man was planning on doing something that Rhodes strongly disapproved of.

"It's settled, I'm going!" Iron Man declared, marching towards the front door with his head held high.

"This is a bad idea!" Rhodes yelled after him. Iron Man ignored him, continuing on out of the cabin.

Steve darted after him, grabbing him by the arm before he could leave the porch. "What are you doing?"

"Something stupid," Iron Man leaned forward and pressed the mouth slit of his faceplate against Steve's lips. A kiss. But it only lasted a brief second before Iron Man pulled away. "Wish me luck!" With that, he blasted off into the sky, leaving Steve with his mouth hanging open.

"What a dumbass. Don't worry, Cap. I'll keep an eye on him," War Machine shouldered past Steve. He gave Steve a wink before he took to the skies. Of course, Rhodes saw the robot kiss him. Great. Steve brushed his fingers over his lips. 

"What's going on?" Bruce appeared in the doorway.

"I don't know, but it's nothing good," Steve scowled. "Go get Thor. We're heading out. Now."


	7. The Name Game

"We're flying right into a trap."

"I'm well aware."

War Machine sped up so that he could fly next to Iron Man. They flew above the clouds, out of sight from any prying eyes. "I don't know what you thought you heard on those comms, but Obadiah is dead."

"I know. But whoever was on the other side of that transmission threatened the Avengers. I'm going to put a stop to this before things get out of hand." Tony responded.

"Tones. Someone stole the plans for your suit and used it to frame you for murder. Things are already out of hand," Rhodey sighed.

"Which is why we need to put a stop to this nonsense. Right now."

They flew together in silence for awhile, heading north along the mountain range. The clouds started getting thicker, and the air colder.

"This is the worst idea you have ever had. And you've had a lot of bad ideas," Rhodey pointed out.

"Rude!" Tony glared at his HUD. Steve had been trying to contact him for the past hour. The Captain's picture disappeared when Tony rejected his call for a tenth time. A picture immediately appeared again, but this time it was Bruce's. Tony took a deep breath and answered, "hey, big green!"

"You answered my call but not Steve's? What, are you two having a domestic squabble?" Bruce teased.

"I'm hanging up-"

"Iron Man, where are you going?" Bruce asked bluntly. "We've tried to follow in the Quinjet, but we lost you."

"Go back to the cabin. I'll be home for dinner, honey," Iron Man ended the call.

"They just want to help," Rhodey said.

"I'm aware. But this is my fight."

Rhodey silently switched on his own tracker, sending the signal to the Quinjet.

* * *

"This looks...safe," Bruce commented. He, Thor and Steve currently stood outside the entrance to an abandoned mine. The wooden beams holding the hillside at bay looked as though they could give out at any moment. The thought of the mine collapsing while they were inside made Bruce shudder. He wrapped his coat tighter around his shoulders. "I think I'll stay out here."

"You sure?" Thor asked, his hand ghosting over Bruce's back. The god didn't seem at all bothered by the cold, or the snowflakes fluttering in the breeze.

"You don't want the big guy making an appearance down there," Bruce said. He looked at the mine shaft once more, the dim light barely making it more than a few feet inside. When they had first arrived, they all thought that this couldn't possibly be where the armored pair had gone. Bruce looked a the small tablet in his hands, double checking the signal from Rhodey's tracker. A tiny red light was flashing just a few yards ahead. Technically, the signal came from several hundred feet underground, but the map didn't show depth too accurately.

"Keep the Jet running," Steve instructed. "Comms on."

"Will do. Take this." Bruce passed over the tablet. He shifted around nervously as his friends vanished into the mine. He stayed where he was for another minute until the cold got the better of him. The scientist hurried back to the jet, the frost cracking under his feet.

* * *

Steve walked along the rails, shining a flashlight in front of them. Thor's heavy footsteps echoed from somewhere behind him. Every once in awhile something would move out of the corner of his eye. Usually a small rodent, or water dripping from the ceiling. They followed the tracks down, down, down. Steve clenched his jaw. What was Iron Man doing here? He switched off the flashlight when he spotted light ahead. He could hear the sharp clang of metal grinding against metal.

The tunnel opened up into a gigantic cave. The cave was lined with conveyor belts and metal tables. Machines darted around the area, building other machines. There were at least a dozen people moving around the room, dressed in lab coats and performing various tasks. Sparks were flying all over the place, and the metal clanging echoed all around them. The two Avengers ducked behind a rock before anyone could spot them.

"They're building more metal men," Thor observed.

Steve nodded, eyes landing on a nearly finished Iron Man bot. It hadn't yet been painted, and wires hung from areas that weren't covered in the armored exoskeleton. The entire thing was held up by thick cables and chains. The familiarity of the faceplate made Steve's skin crawl.

But where was their robot?

Steve scanned the area, but couldn't find the actual Iron Man anywhere. He used the tablet Bruce had given him to take pictures of the cave, knowing that he could use this as evidence to clear his lover's name. Thor tapped his shoulder and pointed to the left. Steve looked over to see a man making his way through across the room. He had only ever seen this man in photos, and he looked like he had aged a bit since those were taken. But there was no denying his identity.

Obadiah Stane.

"I know you're there. No need to keep hiding," Stane called.

At first, Steve thought he was talking to him and Thor, but then Iron Man and War Machine stepped out of the shadows.

"You're alive," Iron Man stated.

"It would appear so," Obadiah smiled. "I'm surprised you actually showed up, Iron Man. I guess I made the right choice in threatening the life of your precious Captain."

"Well, I've never been one to deny a party invitation," Iron Man said.

Obadiah laughed at that, "right you are! I specifically told you not to bring a date, though."

"Tough," War Machine stepped half in front of Iron Man. "What do you want, Stane?"

Stane picked a faceplate off one of the workbenches and held it over his own face. "Funny thing about masks. You can be anyone you want with them. And anyone can be you."

"You're trying to take my place?" Iron Man asked.

"Temporarily. Just long enough to destroy everything you've built. Just like you did to me."

"SI was never your company," Iron Man hissed.

"Maybe not. But it was my life's work. And you ran it into the ground. Ruined my life. Blasted me into another dimension."

"Did you seriously want me to come here just so you could tell me your evil plan?" Iron Man's tone was light, as if he were about to laugh. "Guess I shoulda seen that coming!"

Stane lowered the faceplate, his glare boring into the two armored men. "Maybe I did. But am I really here? Or did I send you on a wild goose chase?" The man vanished without a trace. As did everything else in the cave. The overhead lights were the only thing that remained.

"Holograms?" Rhodey asked, looking up at the lights.

"Holograms aren't that advanced," Iron Man hissed.

"And Obadiah is supposed to be dead...hang on..." War Machine suddenly spun around, one arm raised, with tiny missiles folded out of his forearm. He was pointing them directly at Steve and Thor's hiding spot. "Heat signatures!"

Tony used his robotic eye to determine who they belonged to, then gently pushed War Machine's arm down, "they're friendlies. You can stop playing hide 'n seek now!"

Steve and Thor poked their heads up. "What's going on?" Steve asked.

"Your guess is as good a mine," Iron Man shrugged.

"Hey, Cap?" Bruce said over the comms.

Steve put two fingers to his ear, activating the microphone. "Yes?"

"I just got word from Natasha. She found something that could prove Iron Man's innocence." Bruce reported.

"I might have something too. What did she find?"

"The bot that killed Justin Hammer."

* * *

By nightfall, the Avengers were once again assembled on the Hellicarrier. They had formed a protective barrier around their bot, not letting anyone so much as look at him. Fury had made it clear that no one would harm Iron Man, but the Avengers still felt the need to protect him.

"So, this is the murder bot?" Clint poked at the robot's head. It was completely drained of power, Natasha having found it discarded in a ditch not far from Hammer's home.

"It would appear so," Fury nodded. "I believe I owe you an apology," he said to Iron Man.

"I'd love to hear it," Iron Man leaned forward on his hands, head tilted in an innocent fashion. Steve stood next to him, arms crossed, with a very unimpressed look aimed at Fury.

Fury gave a rushed apology before directing everyone's attention back to the robot on the table. "Should I be concerned about this thing waking up?"

"It's reactor it shot," Iron Man twisted the device free. Turning it over in his hands, he inspected it carefully. "All the right parts, but very poorly put together." Iron Man crushed the reactor in his hands. "I'm taking this bot back to my workshop to study it further." It wasn't a question. Iron Man was going to leave the Hellicarrier with his doppelganger whether Fury allowed it or not.

Surprisingly, Fury didn't protest. "Take it. Least I can do to make up for my men trying to kill you. But first, I need to have my own engineers look it over, so that I can have solid proof of your innocence to sent to the council."

* * *

"Whoa..." Clint looked around the workshop wide-eyed. The Avengers had followed Iron Man into his shop, despite his protesting. Steve and Bucky had tried to herd them out, knowing Iron Man didn't like people intruding on his personal space. But there were just too many people to keep track of and they kept sneaking back in. Iron Man was too busy with the bot to do much about it. He made a mental note to upgrade his security later.

"Break anything and I will light you on fire," Iron Man threatened. He waved a hand, bringing up several holographic screens around the workbench that the murder bot had been placed on.

"So aggressive," Clint muttered as he continued to look around the workshop. It looked like something straight out of a sci-fi movie. 

"I'll keep an eye on him," Natasha assured the android.

"I don't need babysitting!" Clint scrunched up his nose.

"That's the biggest load of horse crap I've ever heard," Sam commented.

Iron Man cursed when a ball bounced off the back of his head. "If you are going to play with the bots, please do so on the other side of the room," he hissed. Thor retrieved the ball and hurried away, Dum-E speeding after him.

"Anything I can do to help?" Steve took a seat on the stool he almost always occupied when visiting his robot.

"Take the head apart," Iron Man pushed one of the holograms his way.

Steve studied the chart, looking to see what parts Iron Man wanted to be taken off, before picking up a screwdriver and getting to work. He took off the faceplate first. The metal wasn't as durable as Iron Man's and came off with little to no effort. The inside looked like a computer, with wires and circuitry. It was nothing like what Steve had seen when Iron Man cracked his own helmet. He distinctly remembered the metal plates that formed the shape of a human face and a glowing circle in the eye socket. "It's different."

Iron Man leaned over his shoulder, "so it is."

"What's different?" Bruce was sitting on the other side of the workbench, running a few tests of his own on the bot.

"There's no face inside behind this," Steve explained, holding up the faceplate.

"Is there supposed to be?" Natasha asked. The rest of the team started to gather around the workbench when they noticed the bot being taken apart.

"Yes," Bucky answered. Iron Man shot him a cold look, but Bucky ignored it. "And it shouldn't look anything like this." He poked at one of the wires in the helmet.

"You've seen his face?" Steve looked over at his friend.

"Once," Bucky lied. "Have you?"

"Part of it," Steve said.

"You have another face behind your faceplate?" Clint stared at Iron Man.

"Having a helmet implies that there's a head inside. Most likely with a face." Bruce pointed out. "And he changes his helmet once a month, so..."

Iron Man snapped his fingers, dismissing all of the holograms. "Yes, I have 'another face' as you so kindly put it, Birdbrain."

"Can we see it?" Clint's eyes lit up.

"Clint!" Steve scolded, "you can't just-"

"No. You can't see it," Iron Man said cooly.

"Why not?" Bruce frowned.

"Because it's not pretty."

"So?" Natasha spoke up. "We're not expecting an android to be America's next top model."

"My answer is still no."

Bucky put his arm around Iron Man's shoulders. "There's no harm in showing them. They're just curious."

"Stay out of this, Barnes," Iron Man hissed, shoving his arm off.

"C'mon, man," Sam pleaded. "You can't just say you have an actual face and not show it to us!"

"He doesn't have to do anything he's not comfortable with," Steve sent his teammates disapproving looks.

"Thank you, Steve! See, this is why I love you," Iron Man said. Tony smirked under his helmet, enjoying how that had gotten Steve all flustered. Clint made a choking noise. Tony snatched up the closest object, a wrench, and flung it at his head. Clint screamed and dove under the table.

* * *

"Sorry about them," Steve apologized after he had successfully gotten everyone out of the workshop.

"It's okay," Iron Man shrugged. The murder bot was now nothing but scraps, having been completely picked apart by the armored Avenger. Iron Man had moved to one of the computers, going over the data he had collected. Steve took a seat next to him and laid his head on his shoulder. It was almost one in the morning, and the Captain looked beyond exhausted. "You doing okay, Cap? It's getting late, you should probably go to bed."

"I will...later," Steve hummed. Iron Man looped an arm around him and pressed his mouth to the top of Steve's head. "You're awful affectionate, today. Not that I'm complaining," Steve gave him a loving smile.

"Shut up, you're cute when you're sleepy," Iron Man gazed into Steve's eyes. He wanted so badly to kiss him for real. To hold him in his arms, and actually _feel_ it. His hand started to go to his helmet, but he stopped himself. _No. You'll ruin everything,_  he told himself. Iron Man quickly turned his attention back to the screen in front of him. Having Steve at his side would have to be enough.

* * *

"I still think it's a huge risk," Bruce waved his hand, dismissing the schematics from the glass screen, and giving him a clear view of the robot that stood on the other side.

"Obadiah is building an army. What are we going to do when he decides to unleash it?" Iron Man's tone was dark.

"We've fought armies before," Bruce shrugged.

"Not like this," Iron Man swiped two fingers across the screen, bringing back the schematics.

Brush dismissed them once more, "Ultron is not the answer."

"Bruce-"

"I'm not going to help you build an army," Bruce's eyes flashed green.

Iron Man took a step back, "okay. I'll do it myself."

"No. You won't. Forget about Ultron, Iron Man," Bruce pushed the screen to the side and looked Iron Man dead in the eye. "I know you think you can control them, but there's no guarantee. It's too dangerous."

Iron Man looked away, knowing that Bruce was right. "The AI I'm designing for it just needs more work. I'll be able to control it, just give me more time-"

"No. Scrap the idea." Bruce shouldered past him. "And don't ever bring this up again."

"Fine," Iron Man moved the files onto his private server, planning on continuing his work at a later date.

"Friend Banner! Do you think you could-oh!" Thor poked his head into Bruce's lab. "Man of Iron! I did not know you were up here-"

"He was just leaving," Bruce cut in. "Weren't you, shellhead?"

"Correct as always, Doctor Banner." Iron Man held his head high as he left the room. "See you around, Goldilocks," he gave Thor a pat on the back when he walked out.

* * *

"Where's your boyfriend?" Bucky asked, leaning over the bar to bat his eyes at Steve.

"I don't have a boyfriend, Buck," Steve rolled his eyes. The Avengers, minus Iron Man, had gathered in the common room for a party. They weren't celebrating anything in particular, Clint just felt like they should have a night off. All of them have been incredibly stressed out since Iron Man was accused of murder a few days ago, so it didn't take much convincing to get a party going. Sam and Bruce flitted around the kitchen, making food for everyone, while Natasha and Bucky prepared the drinks.

"So what's the deal with you and Iron Man then? Friends with Benefits?" Clint elbowed him in the ribs.

"We've already established that Iron Man doesn't have genitals," Bruce called from the kitchen.

"That doesn't mean anything!" Clint yelled back. "That bot will flirt with anything that moves, and he makes the most dick jokes out of all of us, so I don't see why friends with benefits is all that far-fetched!"

"Please don't talk about him like that," Steve ran his hands over his face. "And Iron Man doesn't flirt with people anymore."

"Yeah, cause all his flirtation is directed at you," Bucky smirked. Steve's face turned bright red and he tried to defend himself but stumbled over his words.

"Seriously, though. Where is he?" Rhodes, who had been made an honorary Avenger, asked.

"Workshop. As always," Sam reported. "I tried to stop by earlier, but he had the place on lockdown."

Bucky and Rhodes exchanged glances. Lockdown could mean one of two things, either there was a serious problem in the workshop, or Tony was out of his suit and didn't want anyone barging in.

"Lockdown?" Steve's brow furrowed in concern. "Maybe I should go check on him."

"No, no, I got this," Bucky said quickly.

"You?" Clint raised an eyebrow. "I know you're all buddy-buddy with the tin man, but maybe it's better to send his boyfriend. Especially if he's in a mood."

"Clint's right." Natasha nodded, and added, "for once."

"Like I said, we're not dating. But I'm will go check on him," Steve left the room before Bucky or Rhodes could stop him. The two exchanged another look. The Captain shouldn't be able to get past the heavy locked doors. But there was nothing on this earth that could stop Captain America's pure determination.

* * *

"Iron Man?" Steve knocked on the door. "We're having a party, you coming up?"

"Go away," Iron Man's voice came through the speaker by the door.

"Iron-"

"I'm not in a good place right now. Enjoy the party, Cap."

Steve frowned, "let me in."

"Enjoy the party, Cap," Iron Man repeated.

"Please," Steve jiggled the handle. "What's wrong? You can talk to me, buddy." There was a long pause, although the door did eventually slid open. The workshop was a bit of a mess, which wasn't too surprising. What was surprising was Iron Man sitting against the far wall with one of his arms lying in pieces around him. Iron Man looked up at Steve. Then hung his head in shame. Steve gripped the doorframe so hard his knuckles turned white. "Did you hurt yourself again?"

"I wanted to feel something," Iron Man whispered.

Steve took a deep breath and stepped into the room, closing the door behind him.

"But it didn't work," Iron Man continued. "I didn't feel a damn thing."

"Oh, sweetheart..." Steve pulled the bot into his arms. Iron Man clung to him with his remaining arm, pressing his face into Steve's shoulder. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Iron Man's shoulders shook. "Shhh...I got you, shellhead. I got you." Iron Man made a whining noise, followed by a choked clicking. The noise repeated over and over. It took Steve a minute to realize that the sound was the robot's way of crying. Steve felt his heart shatter. "It's gonna be alright. Everything's gonna be okay, Iron Man."

"Don't."

"Don't?"

"Don't call me that," Iron Man spat.

"What would you like me to call you?" Steve pulled back so he could look the robot in the eye.

"I don't know. Just...I don't know." Iron Man sobbed, "I don't know anymore."

Steve pulled him back into a tight embrace, running one hand over the robot's head. "Okay, sweetheart."

* * *

  
"It's been over an hour. They're probably dead," Sam commented.

Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don't think they're-"

"They're dead! Oh, my god, the other bots must have risen up and killed them!" Clint threw his hands in the air. "Damnit! Steve owed me five dollars! What am I supposed to do now?!"

"We're not dead, stop your whining!" Steve marched through the doorway. "And you're the one who owes me money, not the other way around!"

"Steve! You're alive!" Clint threw himself into Steve's arms, only for the soldier to sidestep at the last second. Clint ended up falling face first onto the floor. "Meanie." He glanced up when he heard a familiar soft whirring noise approach him. Iron Man didn't say anything as he stepped over Clint.

"Everything good with you two? You were gone an awfully long time," Bucky raised an eyebrow. Steve had a haunted look in his eyes, and Iron Man was keeping his distance. Fuck. Did he find out? Rhodey was having similar thoughts and swallowed hard. He believed Steve had the right to know, but finding out on accident probably wasn't in his best interest.

"Yeah," Steve took a deep breath to compose himself. "Iron Man was being careless and messed up his arm. It just took awhile to put back together, is all."

Bucky tightened his grip on his glass. Tony had purposefully hurt himself. Again. No wonder Steve looked so upset.

Now that all the Avengers were present, Bruce and Sam set the food out, and the party officially started. Bucky managed to sneak a plate of food back to Tony's secret room, not wanting his friend to go hungry. Iron Man and Steve naturally migrated back to one another. Bucky was worried about Tony, but his worries were put to rest when he heard him laughing at something Steve said. The two were on either side of the bar, leaning in so close that their foreheads were almost touching. He'd have to talk to Tony about his self-destructive tendencies later, but for now, the cyborg seemed to be doing alright.

After several hours of drinking, eating, and messing around in the common room, the team settled down on the couches. Iron Man sat on the floor between Steve's legs. The soldier leaned forward to wrap his arms around the robot's shoulders, his chin on top of Iron Man's head.

"Not dating my ass," Clint rolled his eyes.

"Jealous?" Iron Man stuck his chin out.

"We are _not_ dating," Steve said firmly, pulling away from the robot.

"We aren't? That's news to me," Iron Man huffed.

Natasha swirled her glass of wine, a smug smile on her face. "Cute."

Bucky sighed. This was going to be another thing he would need to discuss with Tony later.

"Oh, Steve!" Iron Man's hand shot into the air, almost smacking Steve in the face. "I thought of a name!"

"I'm all ears," Steve grinned.

"A name?" Rhodes quirked an eyebrow.

"He doesn't want to be called Iron Man, anymore," Steve explained.

"Correction, I don't mind being called Iron Man. It's just weird, having you guys call me that all the time," Iron Man said quickly. "Considering I don't call you guys by your code names outside of missions."

"Makes sense," Bruce nodded, "so what name were you thinking of?"

"What about 'Anthony'?" Iron Man suggested. Rhodes almost choked on his drink. Bucky smiled, thinking that this was it. Tony was going to unmask himself right here and now.

"Like your creator?" Steve drummed his hands lightly on Iron Man's helmet.

Iron Man took hold of one of Steve's hands in his own, "exactly like that."

"Anthony," Steve said as if testing out the name. "It suits you."

"Friend Anthony!" Thor raised his stein in a toast. The other Avengers clinked their glasses against his, all of them murmuring words of encouragement. Except for Rhodes, who was staring at Tony like he had grown a second head.

Bucky glared at Tony until the other man was forced to meet his gaze. He put his hands on either side of his head and made an upwards motion, silently telling Iron Man to take off the helmet. Tony shook his head. Bucky sighed. _Baby steps..._ he reminded himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have mixed feelings about this chapter. It didn't turn out quite the way I wanted it to, but I'm happy with how the second half turned out so I'm going to post it anyway.
> 
> (Fair warning that the next chapter is going to get INTENSE.)


	8. Malibu

"You are a...tragedy," Bucky muttered. Of course, Tony couldn't hear him over the loud music blasting throughout the workshop. Bucky was glad that Tony was feeling like his old self enough to listen to his music again, but right now he really needed to talk to the cyborg. "An absolute tragedy! Do you hear me, Stark?!" He shouted. "Jarvis, cut the music!"

The music shut off, and Tony instantly whirled around, looking absolutely murderous. "Don't. Touch. My. Music."

"I'm trying to have a conversation-"

"No, you were yelling about how much of a tragedy I am!" Tony slammed a fist on the table, which resulted in his coffee falling over.

"So you heard me?"

"Of course I heard you! I was doing this thing called ignoring you. Look it up." Tony righted the cup and glared at the brown liquid seeping across the table. There goes his notebook. Great.

"I take it back. You're not a tragedy. You're an ass." Bucky retrieved a rag and handed it to Tony.

Tony laughed, "you got that right! Okay, I'll bite. What did you want to talk about?"

"That little stunt you pulled at the party last night, telling people to call you 'Anthony'."

"Oh right. I forgot about that," Tony hummed. "I thought you'd be happy with me telling them my name?"

"I am. I was just hoping you'd give them a face to go along with the name," Bucky sighed.

"I'm not ready for that," Tony finished wiping up the spill and tossed the rag over the back of a chair. "I don't know if I ever will be, honestly."

"Steve deserves to know the truth, Tony."

"Steve deserves a lot of things, Bucky."

"And you deserve to be happy."

"Jarvis, drop my needle." The music came back on at full volume.

Bucky ran a hand through his hair and shook his head in disbelief. He knew he wouldn't get anywhere now that Tony's music was back so he changed the subject. "Could you take a look at my arm? Somethings not quite right."

Tony's eyes lit up, and he instantly dropped everything he was doing. "Of course! Step into my parlor!" He kicked an extra stool over to the workbench. Bucky sat down with his arm outstretched on the table. Tony was silent as his cybernetic eye scanned the arm.

Bucky tilted his head, "you upgraded your eye." It was no longer a plane glowing orb, there were thin rings within it, resembling a pupil and iris. There were other shapes in it as well, tiny squares and circles that spun around the iris.

"I did. Made it easier to read heat signatures. Along with a few other things," he tapped Bucky's elbow. "You bumped something loose here. I'm gonna need to take your arm off so I can get to it easier."

"Go for it," Bucky forced himself to relax. Taking his arm off caused a short burst of pain in the connectors. Bucky tried to convince himself it was like getting a shot. Just a quick prick, and then it's all over. Tony waited until Bucky was completely relaxed before releasing the prosthetic. "Thank you," Bucky said once the issue was resolved and the arm was back in its place.

"Don't worry about it," Tony clinked his metal hand against Bucky's shoulder. "Are we still going out for lunch today?"

Bucky grinned in response.

* * *

"Okay, okay, you need to...uh, how 'bout you just sit down for a second?" Steve pushed Iron Man onto the couch before he could fall over. The robot had just appeared in the living room, stumbling around and babbling to himself. Clint and Bucky were the only other ones in the room and gathered around the couch with worried expressions.

"Steeeebe," Iron Man made grabby hands at Steve. Bucky clenched his jaw. The moment the cyborg walked in, Bucky knew that he was drunk. Damnit, why did Tony put on his suit if he was wasted? And how did he even get alcohol? Bucky had been pretty sure that Pepper had gotten rid of Tony's stockpile. Apparently, she had missed a few bottles. "Steeeebe, you're so prettyyyy..." Iron Man's head lolled back against the couch cushions. "Aw, where'd you go?" He said to the ceiling.

"What's wrong with him?" Clint frowned.

"I don't know..." Steve turned Iron Man's head to face him. "I'm right here, Anthony."

" _There_ you are!" Iron Man shouted. "Has anyone told you that you have a nice butt? Cause you have a nice butt. Can I touch it?"

Clint snickered. Steve took a deep breath, "Anthony..."

"Present!" Iron Man raised his hand.

"Did you hit your head?" Steve still had his hands on either side of Iron Man's face.

"Uuuuuum. Maybe? I'm gonna power down now." Iron Man's eyes went dark, his arm falling in his lap with a soft ting.

"The fuck was that all about?" Clint tried to be serious, but couldn't help the small giggles escaping him.

"I don't know. I'll take him to the workshop. Buck, can you call Pepper?"

"Y-yeah, sure..." Bucky murmured, watching as Steve scooped Iron Man into his arms bridal style and strode off.

"I like it when you call me 'Anthony'," Iron Man said when they were alone in the workshop.

"I thought you powered down?" Steve frowned at his boyfriend, whose eyes were still dark.

"I lied."

Steve sighed. "You just wanted me to carry you, didn't you?"

"Yep!"

"Unbelievable," Steve set Iron Man down on the couch. "I'm gonna go see if Pepper's still in the building. Don't go anywhere."

"Wait!" Iron Man grabbed his sleeve, "I gotta tell you something!"

Steve knelt down next to him, "what is it?"

"Um...I forgot." Iron Man tilted his head back, staring at the ceiling for a moment before looking back over at Steve. "Something to do with my face. I think. I don't remember. Oh no! Did my face fall off?!" Iron Man slapped his hands over his faceplate.

Steve chuckled, "it's still there. I'm gonna go get Pepper, and we're gonna fix you up. Okay?"

"Okay," Iron Man let his hands drop down to his chest.

Steve kissed his forehead, "I'll be right back." Steve only made it a few feet from the couch before Iron Man jumped up and hugged him from behind. "Anthony," Steve scolded gently.

"Stay with me, Stevie."

"Mrs. Potts is on her way, Captain Rogers," Jarvis announced.

"Thanks, J. Now, you need to do as you're told and stay put," Steve twisted around in Iron Man's hold.

"You're bossy."

"And you're being difficult."

"I'm always difficult." Iron Man headbutted Steve in the chin. Not hard enough to hurt him, but not very pleasant either.

"Please work with me, Anthony."

"Make me."

Steve scowled. "Fine." He grabbed Iron Man by the upper arm and drug him back to the couch. "Stay." He threw him down none too gently. "That's an order from your commander."

"That's hot."

Steve put his hands on his hips, glowering down at the robot, "what the hell has gotten into you?"

"I was hoping you, but obviously things haven't been going in that direction-"

"Anthony!" Pepper yelled from the doorway. Bucky stood behind her, looking scared.

"Hi, gumdrop!" Iron Man waved.

"Bucky thinks you got a little _water_ inside your helmet. Is that true?" She growled.

"There is definitely liquid inside me, yes," Iron Man said.

"Son of a..." Pepper marcher over to him. "I'll handle, this Rogers. You can go now."

"Are you sure? I can help-"

"Go," Pepper's tone left no room for arguing. Steve took one last worried look at his boyfriend before hurrying out of the room. As soon as Steve was gone, Pepper and Bucky got Tony out of the armor and made him go lay down in his bedroom. "That was incredibly stupid, Tony. You almost blew your cover!"

"I know...Can I sleep before you yell at me?" Tony looked like a kicked puppy. He also looked like he hadn't slept in days, with his hair sticking out at odd angles and dark bags under his human eye.

"Fine," Pepper let out a heavy breath. "But once you wake up, we are having a serious discussion about being a responsible adult."

* * *

"I'm sorry. About yesterday," Iron Man said from somewhere behind Steve, making the super soldier jump. He hit his head on the kitchen cabinet with a loud thud. "Ouch. Sorry for that too."

Steve turned to face him, rubbing the top of his head. The robot stood on the other side of the kitchen island, his head bowed in shame. "How did water get inside your helmet?"

"I put it there."

Steve grabbed the back of one of the kitchen chairs to steady himself. "Were you...you were hurting yourself again."

"I guess you could say that," Iron Man kept his eyes on the tabletop. He traced the edge of the island with an index finger. "I didn't think my circuits would react that way. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable."

"You didn't," Steve approached him slowly. "Hey, look at me." Iron Man refused. "Anthony..." Steve tilted the bot's head up. "It's okay. Well, it's not okay. Hurting yourself is not okay. But everything's good now, right? You're feeling better?"

Iron Man nodded.

"Good," Steve caressed the side of his face, smiling at the way Iron Man leaned into his touch. "I love you. You know that right?"

"Yes. I love you too, Cap."

* * *

"Ohmygod, I thought Steve was joking when he said you listened to heavy metal..." Bruce gaped. Iron Man was in an usually good mood today and had let the team into his workshop. Mostly so he could test out some gadgets he had made for them.

"Why would I lie about that?" Steve asked. He had his arm held out, allowing Iron Man to fiddle with the electromagnetic panels on his glove. The robot had said that the magnets would make it easier to retrieve his shield and Steve was excited to test it out.

"You do have a pretty wild imagination," Bucky ruffled his friend's hair. Steve swatted his hand away. He combed his fingers through his hair to fix the mess Bucky had caused.

"AC/DC ain't shit, though," Clint muttered.

"The fuck did you just say about my music?" Iron Man slowly turned his head towards the archer.

"I said it's trash," Clint smirked.

Iron Man grabbed one of the arrow prototypes he had been working on and pointed it at the archer. "I'm gonna shove this up your ass. Bend over, birdbrain!"

"Play nice, both of you," Steve ordered.

"Is that the poison dart arrow you were telling me about?" Clint changed the subject.

"It is," Iron Man handed it over. "Go test it out and get back to me." He turned his attention back to the magnets. "Okay. These should be good. I already put some on your shield. Go nuts," he patted Steve on the shoulder.

"Thanks," Steve gave him a fond smile. He held his hand close to his chest and activated the sensor in his palm. The shield came flying across the room, snapping into place on his arm. "Works!"

"Hey!" Sam had dived to the floor to avoid decapitation. "Watch it!"

"Sorry!!"

"I have something else for you," Iron Man said to Steve. He walked over to the other side of the workshop, motioning for Steve to follow. Steve blinked when Iron Man pulled out a box of records from under the workbench. "These belonged to Howard Stark. You have more use for them than I do," he dropped the box into Steve's arms. "It's all music from the 40's, by the way. Some 30's too, I think."

"Oh my god..." Steve whispered. He set the box down on the table and thumbed through the albums. He recognized every single one of the singers. Some of the music could still be found online, but a lot of what was in the box had been lost in time. "This is...I don't know what to say...are you sure I can have these?"

"Absolutely. You can put one on if you want. I'm sure Clint would enjoy the change in music. You know where the record player is," Iron Man said with a wave of his hand.

"You're the best," Steve gave him a peck on the cheek. He picked a record at random and hopped over to the player. A giant smile was plastered on his face.

* * *

Steve laid his head against Iron Man's chest, listening to the gentle hum of the arc reactor.

"Want to talk about it?" Iron Man asked, referring to the nightmare Steve had just had. This one had been pretty bad, resulting in Steve having a panic attack as soon as he woke up. Jarvis had alerted Tony of the situation, and Iron Man came as quickly as he could. Now Steve sat in Iron Man's lap, with the bots arms wrapped protectively around him.

"You died."

Iron Man threaded his fingers through Steve's hair, making a soft humming noise as he did so. "I'm not going anywhere, Stevie. You're stuck with me."

"You were human," Steve went on, "in my dream. You were human. We were on a date. But there was a bomb, and you..." He let out a choked sob. "Anthony, there was so much blood. And you wouldn't wake up."

"Hey, hey, shh...I'm awake. I'm right here. It was just a dream, honey. Just a dream." Iron Man tightened his grip on his lover. He rocked back and forth gently, whispering sweet nothings to Steve until he calmed down.

"You looked like Tony Stark," Steve said after a long silence. "Whenever I dream about you as a human, you always look like him."

"Should I be jealous?" Iron Man laid down, bringing Steve with him.

"No," Steve allowed himself a small smile, "I just thought you should know."

"What would you do if I was human?"

"Kiss you."

"You already do that. Quite often," Iron Man chuckled.

"Exactly. If you were human then nothing would change. I'd still feel the same way about you."

"You talk about me being human a lot," Iron Man pointed out. "And you draw me as a human a lot..."

Steve didn't know what to say to that.

"I'm sorry, that I'm not exactly what you wanted-"

"I'm going to stop you right there!" Steve slapped a hand over Iron Man's mouth, even though the action did little to muffle the speakers. "You are exactly what I want." He pulled his hand away so he could give Iron Man a kiss on the mouth. "You're perfect."

"But-"

"No buts. Just hugs. Okay?" Steve tucked his head under Iron Man's chin.

"Okay." Iron Man sighed. "You gonna be alright?" He rubbed circles into Steve's back. "Do you want me to stay the rest of the night? In case you have another nightmare?"

"You thought I was gonna let you leave? That's funny. You're trapped in my bed for the night. Deal with it."

"You're an evil man, Steve."

Steve laughed, the sound warmed Tony's heart.

* * *

  
Iron Man shot through the sky like a rocket, his repulsors screaming behind him. Someone was attacking Pepper's home in Malibu. Someone was attacking Pepper.

"Keep talking to me, baby!" Tony yelled.

"I-I-I...I got into the workshop. They're trying to break down the door. Tony, I'm scared!" Pepper's voice shook.

"They can't get in! The only thing that could break through that door is the Hulk," he assured her. "I'll be there in three minutes, just hang on! The Avengers are on their way, too."

"The Hulk and Iron Man," Pepper whispered.

"What?"

"Iron Man could break down that door. I've seen you do it."

"Pepper...who's attacking you?"

"You," Pepper choked out. "Well, not you. People who look like you. They have your armor-" there was a loud bang and scream from Pepper. "They're almost inside-"

"Two minutes!" Tony said. "Are any of my old suits still in the workshop?"

"One of them, yes."

"Get inside it. Jarvis, get it going for her!" Tony ordered.

"Right away, sir." The AI said in its calm drawl.

"I'm in, I'm in, what do I-" Pepper cut herself off with a blood-curdling scream. Her attackers had gotten inside the workshop.

"Jarvis-" Tony opened the flaps on his shoulders to give himself an extra boost. A loud bang could be heard as he blasted ahead even faster than before.

"I have it handled sir, I will protect her. But please do hurry," the AI responded.

Exactly one minute later, Iron Man crashed through the window of his former Malibu mansion. The place was an absolute wreck. Glass shards littered the floor. Holes dotted the walls. Scorch marks covered every surface. The couch was even on fire. 

"Pepper!" Tony called.

Just then Pepper, donning the mark three, crashed through the far wall. With at least a dozen mark 43's on her tail. "TONY!!"

Iron Man flew over her head, tackling the bot closest to her. He tried ripping it apart, expecting the metal to be just as flimsy as the last Iron Man look-alikes. But Obadiah had gotten his hands on the same titanium alloy Tony used. Iron Man's fingers scratched uselessly against the bot's armor. The other bot clawed at Tony's faceplate.

Tony cursed, "plan B!" He grabbed the bot by the shoulders and activated his uni-beam. The blast shot straight through the bot and even managed to take out a few behind it. A second wave of bots crashed through one of the remaining windows. "Shit."

When the rest of the team arrived, they found Iron Man and Pepper fighting the attackers back to back. By that point, the third wave had arrived.

"How many of these things could there possibly be?!" Pepper used her own uni-beam to take out a few.

"I don't know, but you need to stop using that thing or you'll drain your reactor!" Tony advised. He had only used his once during the entire fight and was now using his lasers and other small projectiles to take down the bots.

"AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!" Steve let out his battle cry as he charged into the house, the team hot on his heels. He flung his shield, the sheer force taking one of the bots heads clean off. He kicked another square in the chest, knocking it out the window. The soldier recalled his shield, spun around and smashed it into the reactor of a third bot.

The fourth wave of bots arrived.

If the battle wasn't complete chaos before, it was now.

"Watch it!" Iron Man ducked when Clint almost hit him with an explosive arrow.

"Sorry, you all look alike!" Clint said quickly.

One of the bots came up behind Tony and grabbed him. Tony shot into the air, crashing through the ceiling and climbing into the sky.

"Sorry about your house, Ms. Potts," Natasha apologized as she jumped over Pepper and stabbed knives through the eyes of a rogue bot.

"It's alright," Pepper was more concerned with not dying than the priceless couch that was still on fire.

Iron Man crashed back down a bit later. The bot that had grabbed him was in pieces. By the looks of it, a few other bots had attacked him while he was airborne. His right leg was badly damaged, as well as his shoulder and part of his breastplate.

"Iron Man!" Steve called. "Status!"

"Alive," Iron Man glanced his way. Part of his faceplate was gone, revealing the cybernetic eye and part of his facial prosthetic. He shot through the air, body slamming a bot that had been about to attack Captain America. They went through the window and rolled down the cliffside. Iron Man smashed the bots head into the rocks and flew back up into the house.

"I vote we take the party outside!" Falcon called.

"I second that!" War Machine said, using his shoulder gun to mow down several bots.

"We might not have to!" Clint pointed out. There hadn't been any new bots, and there weren't many of the previous waves left standing.

After another ten minutes of fighting, the bots had been completely taken care of. The Avengers only had a split second to catch their breaths before an explosion rocked the foundation.

A mark 46 shot through the hole in the roof and grabbed Iron Man. Iron Man ignited his boots, sending them both spiraling through the air.

The enemy bot clawed at the hole in Iron Man's faceplate, screaming, "SHOW ME YOUR FACE, YOU COWARD!"

Obadiah. There was no mistaking that voice. And this time, he was actually here.

Iron Man did a barrel roll to throw Obadiah off him.

The Avengers were about to charge him when another wave of Iron Man doppelgangers showed up.

"Goddamnit!" War Machine cursed.

"I have Stane," Iron Man said to Steve, noticing his concerned look. From there the fighting started to leave the house, spreading out along the cliffs.

"Guys, is this a code green?" Bruce said over the comms.

"Not unless they leave the property. They're focussed on us for now," Steve advised. He was starting to get a bit worried. Well, he had already been worried when they had gotten the distress call from Pepper, but now he was worried for different reasons. How many bots did Obadiah make? Where was he anyway? Steve had lost sight of both Obadiah and Anthony.

Steve jumped out of a window, and darted across the patio, on his way to help Clint. Right as he flung his shield at the bots, one of his questions was answered. Obadiah plucked him off the ground and lifted him into the sky. Steve let out a surprised shout. He kicked his arms and legs, desperately fighting against his captor. He stopped struggling when they reached a height where a fall would have differently killed him, despite being a super soldier.

"LET HIM GO!!"

Steve looked back to see his robot flying after them. Iron Man was literally falling to pieces after only minutes of fighting Obadiah, his already damaged jet boot was sputtering out, compromising his flight. The distance between them was growing at an alarming rate. Steve started fighting back, knowing Iron Man would catch him when he fell.

"Very well!" Obadiah let go of the Captain.

"STEVE!!" Iron Man shrieked, diving for him. He wasn't going fast enough. There was too much distance between them.

Steve choked down his rising panic and forced himself to go limp. The ocean was quickly coming up to meet him. Repulsors shot out of Iron Man's back, pushing him ever faster. The distance between them was closing, but Iron Man still wasn't going fast enough.

"ANTHONY!!" The scream ripped through Steve's throat with so much force that it hurt.

Iron Man grabbed him just in time. But he wasn't able to change his flight direction in time. The two crashed into the ocean, with Iron Man twisting his body underneath Steve and taking the full force of the crash. After a minute of flailing in the water, the two managed to get their heads above the waves. Iron Man used his working jet boot to push them to the shore.

Steve crawled up onto the beach, dragging Iron Man with him. "y...you okay?" He leaned forward on his hands, panting heavily.

"Yeah," Iron Man collapsed face first next to Steve. He moved his hands through the sand, the tiny pebbles pooling up between his fingers. "You?"

Before Steve could answer, a high pitched ringing noise paralyzed him. His eyes were forced wide, and he felt like his brain was being squeezed. He tried to speak, but his mouth wouldn't obey him. Iron Man seemed to be experiencing something similar because he had stopped running his hands through the sand. Stopped moving altogether. Iron Man's visible eye was locked onto Steve's. Steve was a little surprised by just how much emotion there was in that glowing orb.

Obadiah landed in front of them, holding a small remote in one hand. "You remember this, don't you Tony?" He waved the sonic taser in the robot's face. He didn't answer. "Fun times. Fun times. How about you...what do you call sleep? 'Powering down'?" Obadiah chuckled. "Yes. How about you power down, _Iron Man_." He stomped on Iron Man's head. Steve wanted to scream. Wanted to fling himself at Obadiah, rip him apart. Make him hurt for daring to even look at Anthony.

Obadiah flipped Iron Man over and proceeded to shatter the protective glass on the arc reactor. He reached into the suit and yanked the device free. "Just power down..." He whispered as if comforting a terrified child. He tossed the reactor just out of reach.

Iron Man's eyes went dark.

Steve felt like his entire world had just been destroyed. His throat ached as if he were screaming, but no sound came out. He was just inches away from his lover and he couldn't  _do anything._

Obadiah kicked Iron Man in the head, knocking Tony unconscious.

* * *

"Tony!"

Tony kept his eyes shut.

"Tony!"

Someone was shaking him. It hurt.

"Tony! Answer me! Please!"

Pepper. She sounded upset.

"Don't you dare die on me, you...you jerk! WAKE UP!!"

"Stop yelling," Tony allowed his eyes to open a fraction. He was lying in the sand, the helmet discarded a few feet away. Pepper was leaning over him, both hands on his arc reactor.

She let out a sigh of relief. "Thank god...I got to you as fast as I could-"

"Where's Steve?" The armor was deadweight, and it took a lot of effort for him to sit up. Tony grunted at the strain. Moving hurt. Everything hurt and his head was pounding. But his arc reactor was back where it should be. The rest he could deal with later.

"Obadiah took him. He took everyone," Pepper looked like she was about to cry. "He paralyzed us with something. And his bots took the Avengers. They got Bruce too. Before he could Hulk out."

"Shit!" Tony had the suit release him. It was too damaged to be of any use. "Did you see what direction they went?"

"I didn't."

"Jarvis!" Tony put two fingers to his ear. "I need you to track their comms."

"Already doing so, sir," Jarvis reported. "Most of the comms appear to be offline. But I believe I may have found Captain Roger's location. Give me one moment."

"Is the Quinjet still operational?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Pepper, stay here. I'm going to get our team back." He started up the beach, now clad in nothing but his black under armor.

"Tony!" Pepper grabbed him by the arm. "Take the mark three-"

"The boot jets are compromised."

"Please take it anyway! You'll die if you go without armor!"

"I'm already dead Pepper!" Tony shouted. There were so many emotions swirling around his face. Rage. Agony. Sorrow. He looked away to hide them from her. "I've been dead for years. This," he motioned to the remains of the mark 46, "was nothing but a glorified casket. You know that. And I know that. I was rotting away on the inside just like you said."

"Tony..."

"If I don't go now, then my friends-my _family_ -could die. Waiting for another suit to arrive is not an option. I have to go. I have to do this."

"Tony!"

"What?!" Tony turned to face her. "Oh." She was holding Captain America's shield.

Pepper smiled softly. "You're making the right decision. But don't be stupid about it," she held the shield out to him. "I know nothing can stop you once you made up your mind. And that there isn't a force in this world that could keep you away from Steve. But you're not invincible."

Tony took the shield and slipped it over his forearm.

"Save them," Pepper whispered.

"I will," Tony promised. With that, he headed for the Quinjet. "Jarvis, you got a lock on Steve's comm?" He took a seat in the pilot's chair, Steve's shield propped up against his leg.

"Yes, sir." The AI brought up the location on one of the screens. "Vitals are unstable. Captain Rogers may be in need of medical attention."

Tony wasted no time in getting the jet airborne. "Hang on, Cap. I'm on my way."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You have no idea how tempting it was to have Pepper say "it's dangerous to go alone! Take this!"
> 
> This chapter didn't turn out quite as intense as I said it would. Mostly because I decided to push back a certain scene...


	9. Message in a bottle

"STEVE!"

Steve jolted awake. Bucky's face was inches from his own, the man's long hair brushing against Steve's forehead. "Buck...?" Something was obscuring the vision in his left eye. He wiped at it and discovered it was blood.

"Oh, goodie, you're alive," Bucky huffed.

"Give him room!" Natasha shoved him back. "All of you, back off!" She swatted at the Avengers who had crowded around their leader. Steve did a quick headcount. Everyone was present. Except for Iron Man.

"Where are we?" A wave of nausea swept over Steve as he sat up, and he had to hold his head in his hands.

"Don't move around too much, you got a nasty head wound." The winter soldier sat back on his haunches. "And we're in a decommissioned Helicarrier by the looks of it."

"The Hulk proof room, specifically," Bruce reported. Steve looked around, taking in the familiar circular prison. The single fluorescent light above them hurt his eyes. There was no other light besides that single bulb. Two Iron Man bots stood guard next to the control station. They were completely still, their eyes fixed on the Avengers. Steve wanted to rip them apart with his bare hands.

"Where's Anthony?" Steve looked away from the bots.

"We were hoping you knew," Clint frowned. "I think you were the last to see him. Stane didn't bring him along with you?"

"I don't know. Stane knocked me out after..." Steve trailed off.

"After what?" Clint pressed.

"After he took out Anthony's heart," Steve's voice was barely audible. "He had us both paralyzed. There was nothing I could do." The super soldier hung his head in shame.

Bucky stiffed. "He what?"

"Anthony's reactor. Obadiah, he..." Steve curled his fingers around an invisible object and made the motion of removing said object from his chest. Even in the dim light, everyone could see the way Bucky paled.

"Oh god..." Rhodey choked out.

Steve took a deep, shaky breath as he tried to push away the image of Iron Man's lifeless body lying in the sand.

Natasha gave Steve's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "It'll be alright. We'll put him back together. Just like always."

"Anthony can't go without his reactor for more than an hour," Bucky whispered.

Steve's head snapped up. "W-what?"

Bucky clenched his jaw. "I don't think we can put Iron Man back together this time, Steve."

"What are you talking about?" Natasha hissed.

"Some things can't be fixed, okay?!" Bucky shouted, making everyone jump. Steve stared at Bucky wide-eyed, surprised by his outburst. "They can't." Bucky dropped his head into his hands, a sob wracking his entire body. "They just can't." Rhodey moved over to him, wrapping an arm around the super soldier's shoulders. He looked like he was close to tears himself.

"Let's just hope Pepper gets to him in time," Rhodey whispered.

"What if she doesn't though? Oh god, Tony..." Bucky was struggling to hold it together.

"He'll get through this. Son of a bitch never stays dead for long," Rhodey chuckled.

"He better..." Bucky sniffed. He'd never forgive himself if Tony died alone in that cold suit of armor.

"We'll worry about our bot later. Right now we need to get out of here." Natasha stood. "Thor, your hammer-"

"I have called Mjölnir. Pray that it shall reach us soon," Thor answered.

* * *

"Jarvis, how close in the Mark 43?" Tony asked as he landed the jet. Steve's comm had brought him to a battle damaged Helicarrier, left to rot in a shipyard. Tony had put the jet into stealth mode in order to land on the top deck.

"25 minutes away, sir."

"Good." He slipped the shield onto his forearm and adjusted the straps. Tony's arms are by no means scrawny, yet they stood no match against the raw muscle that made up Steve's entire body. Tony took a deep breath, hoping that Steve wouldn't use that muscle against him when he saw Iron Man's real face. He was already going over his "don't be mad, baby" speech in his head. "Can you make the suit fly any faster? I have a feeling Steve's going to punch me in the face. And I'd rather not feel it."

"My calculations show that Captain Rogers is capable of punching through the armor if he so chooses-"

"Okay, I don't need to know that. Can you make the suit go any faster or not?"

"The suit is already at top speed, sir," Jarvis reported. "It is flying all the way from New York. It will take time."

"Fine," Tony took a deep breath and punched a button. Metallic whirring filled his ears as the ramp lowered. He held the shield close to his chest, finding comfort in the object. "Alright. No armor. Just my boyfriend's shield and the repulsors in my prosthetics...you can do this, Stark." He puffed out his chest as he took a deep breath. "Let's get our family back, Jarvis." With that, he charged across the deck. Shield held at his side, and his right hand extended, repulsor at the ready.

It didn't take long for him to be spotted by the Iron Man knockoffs.

* * *

"What was that?" Natasha's head snapped up at the sound of gunfire. It was faint, coming from several floors above them.

 _Whiiiiiiir_ **BOOM**

"Anthony!" Steve bolted to his feet upon hearing the repulsor blast.

"Could be one of the look-alike bots," Clint glared at the pair that was still standing guard.

 _Whiiiiiiir_ **BOOM**

The blast was much closer this time. A second shot rang out. Then a fourth. Then came the sound of metal crunching against metal. The sound of gunfire and repulsors quickly meshed into one giant jumble of unpleasant sounds. The sound was becoming louder. Closer.

_**BOOM** _

Steve threw a hand out to brace himself against the wall. A second explosion knocked Clint over. He cursed loudly when he hit the ground.

"Nope, it's definitely Anthony," Bucky grinned. "He has a thing for explosions..."

"Unfortunately..." Rhodey grumbled. It had to be Tony. Who else would be attacking the Helicarrier? Shield, possibly. Maybe Pepper had informed Fury of the situation, and he sent people to rescue them? That seemed more likely, as much as Rhodey hated to admit it. It had been several hours since they had been kidnapped. The likelihood of Tony still being alive...no. Rhodey shook his head, not wanting to think about it. Pepper had to have gotten to him in time. She had to.

Repulsors shot through the wall, beheading the two bots standing guard. They crumpled to the ground, sparks flying from their frayed wires.

Heavy metallic footsteps approached the door. More sounds of crunching metal echoed throughout the room as the doors were forced open. But it wasn't Iron Man who had opened the doors.

It was Tony Stark.

"Well, son of a gun..." Bucky breathed out. He took in the appearance of his friend. Dressed in nothing but his under armor, and wielding Steve's shield. The arc reactor glowed as brightly as ever in his chest. Tony stepped over to the control panel and turned a knob. The door of the Hulk proof cell slid open with a gasp of air.

"You're...you're Tony Stark..." Steve breathed out when he got a good look at the shorter man's face. Or what was left of it, anyway.

"I am," Tony nodded once. Bucky noticed him tightening his grip on the shield. "Is everyone alright?"

"Steve's injured," Bucky reported. "But it's not too bad. He can still fight if he needs to."

"I can speak for myself, thank you," Steve shot his friend a look.

"You're Tony _Fucking_ Stark!" Clint gasped.

"Yes, we've established that," Tony's human eye twitched. "Do you feel like living? Because I do. Follow me." He darted out of the room. A bot jumped in front of him, and he used the shield to knock it back. Acting fast, he raised his right hand and hit it in the reactor with his repulsor.

Natasha sucked in a sharp breath, putting two and two together. She looked over at Bucky, asking a silent question.

"It's him," Bucky whispered.

"All this time?" Natasha's voice was laced with venom.

Bucky nodded.

Thor's hammer chose that moment to arrive. Better late than never. 

The Avengers followed Tony down the hall. Robot parts littered the floor. The walls and ceilings all but destroyed by a combination of repulsors, bullets, and lasers. Bucky was impressed by just how well Tony was able to hold his own without the armor. The shield probably saved his ass more than once on his way to the team.

"Boy, Iron Man is gonna flip when he sees you!" Sam said.

Tony ignored that statement, continuing to run as fast as his legs could carry him. Bucky winced, knowing the motion probably hurt. But Tony's expression betrayed no pain. There was nothing but raw determination on his face.

"How are you alive?" Steve asked. He knew that Iron Man would be overjoyed. The bot always got so depressed when his creator was brought up. But he did have his suspicions about Stark. Where had he been for the past seven years? And what the hell had happened to his body? Steve could see the metal hand clearly. The same metal plating traveled up the side of his neck, with cables acting as tendons. The facial prosthetic was probably hiding even more machinery. Steve fell into step beside the shorter man, trying to get a better look at the glowing orb that occupied the spot where his eye should have been.

"How can you talk and run at the same time?!" Tony gasped out. "Escape now! Questions later!" They ran up several flights of stairs, and down a long hallway. Tony led them through holes in the walls and broken windows until they eventually made it up to the top deck. "Shit! Get down!" Tony advised. The team hurried back down the staircase they had just ascended. Tony pressed himself against the wall and held his breath. A squadron of bots darted past a moment later. They didn't notice the people crouching in the shadowy stairwell.

"Why do you have my shield?" Steve whispered.

"Pepper gave it to me."

"So Pepper's alright? That's a relief," Natasha said.

"What about Anth-Iron Man?" Steve asked.

"Dead," Tony said, eyes locking onto Steve's as if challenging him. Steve clenched his jaw, doing his best not to break down in front of his teammates. He was supposed to be leading them, goddamnit!

"You're so full of shit!" Bucky spat.

"Buck," Steve held his arm over Bucky's chest. 

"Can't you see this punk is lying through his teeth?!" Bucky clenched his fists.  
  
"We need to go," Tony's human eye narrowed. "They'll find us if we stay-"

"I don't know what you're playing at. But we ain't going anywhere until you tell us the truth!" Bucky pushed past Steve and grabbed Tony by the collar.

Tony glared at Bucky, "now isn't the time-"

"When is the time, then?! Tell them who you really are!"

"What's going on?" Steve frowned. The rest of the team eyed Tony warily.

"You're not Tony Stark, are you?" Clint growled.

"I am Tony Stark," said man snapped back. "And we really need to get out of here!"

"Can we trust this one?" Thor asked.

"The enemy already had us captured," Bruce reasoned. "Why break us out just to trap us again?"

"He could be working for someone else. Last time I checked, Stark wasn't a cyborg," Sam pointed out. "And he was very much deceased."

"Where is the Man of Iron?" Thor demanded, holding his hammer with both hands. "Who are you really, he who is not Tony Stark?"

"You want to know who I am?!" Tony pushed Bucky off him. "Fine!" He dropped the shield and held out his arms. Bits of metal suddenly flew down the stairwell. They latched onto Tony's body and spread out, encasing him in the familiar red and gold armor. Steve took a step back, not believing what was happening right in front of him. Tony twisted around and grabbed the faceplate in midair. Calmly, he clicked it into place. Everyone was speechless as he turned to face them, head held high and shoulders squared. The rectangular eyepieces blazed with blue light. "I am Iron Man."

* * *

 

"You let them get away," a masculine voice said from the shadows, glaring at the surveillance screens.

"That was the plan," Obadiah said coolly.

"Bad plan," the other man hissed.

"Good plan," Obadiah corrected him. "Stark just revealed himself to the Avengers. That was the plan all along. I could've done it in Malibu. But he had to be the one to do it." He tapped the screen that showed the Quinjet taking off.

"Why?"

"Because this little revelation is going to tear them apart from the inside out. It's going to destroy Iron Man. Which is what I wanted. And it's going to destroy the Avengers. Which is what you wanted." Obadiah explained.

"I'd rather do that by my own hand," the other man said.

"And you still will. But first, they need to be weakened. Their bond is too strong for you to attack them as they are now. You and I both know that."

The other man fell quiet.

"Give it a week. Maybe less. They look like they're holding it together for now, but I promise you that this is going to ruin the Avengers." Obadiah smiled cruelly.

* * *

  
"You knew!" Bruce shouted in Bucky's face.

"Doctor..." Clint said, trying to get in between the two without further angering Bruce. The scientist's eyes had been green ever since Tony revealed himself. But it wasn't until they were safely back at the compound that shit hit the fan.

"You knew!" Bruce repeated, "you said it yourself in the workshop last week! You'd seen his face!"

"Banner," Thor put a hand on Bruce's shoulder. "Please calm down." He didn't look too happy either. None of the Avengers did. But they were holding back their anger for the sake of preventing a hulk out.

"I am calm!!" Bruce yelled.

"He asked me not to tell anyone," Bucky kept a passive expression. "I've been trying to get him to tell you all for months."

"Months?!" Bruce through his hands in the air and stormed off to the other side of the room. He paced in a circle, muttering to himself while Thor tried to calm him down.

Tony was dabbing at the gash on Steve's forehead with a wet rag. The cyborg had left his suit on the Quinjet. Although he wished he hadn't. That way he wouldn't have to make eye contact with anyone. 

Steve looked...pissed. There was no other way to describe the look on his face. The way his jaw was clenched so tightly that the tendons in his neck popped out. And the sharp look in his eyes usually reserved for battle. The super soldier swatted Tony's hands away, "I can take care of myself, Stark." Sam snatched the first aid kit out of Tony's hand and went about patching Steve up. The soldier didn't protest Sam's help.

"I can't believe you!" Clint was yelling at Tony now. "Why would you lie to us like that?!" He approached Tony, forcing him back against the wall.

"I-"

"Don't you trust us?!" Natasha hissed, closing in on his left side. Bruce was approaching on the right, quickly followed by Thor and Sam. Steve hung back, glaring at the window.

Tony focussed on his breathing but was failing miserably. Without his armor, he was the shortest man in the room. The upset Avengers were all towering over him, and for a split second Tony thought they might actually kill him. "I-I can explain-"

"You better," Clint grabbed him by the collar and lifted him off his feet. "Because I'm about to beat your ass, Stark."

"Hey! Put him down!" Rhodey pushed his way into the crowd. Clint let go of Tony but didn't step away. "Give him room, Jesus!" Tony found himself pinned between the wall and Rhodey, who was acting as a human shield. Natasha was still directly to his left, practically breathing down his neck. Tony shivered. "He has his reasons. Back off and he'll explain."

For a moment, no one moved. Bucky took a step forward, ready to physically pull them away from Tony if need be. Clint was the first to step away, the others soon following his lead. Rhodey squinted his eyes at the team, before also moving to the side.

"Why pretend to be a robot?" Steve leaned against the window sill, glaring at whatever lay beyond the glass.

Tony took a deep breath, "back in 2008, Obadiah put a hit on me. Which got me blown up during a weapons presentation in Afghanistan. The terrorists who were supposed to kill me decided that I would be more useful to them alive. So they kidnapped me and had another engineer they kidnapped fix me up." He put a hand over his facial prosthetic. "There wasn't much left of me, but they didn't care. They were determined to have the weapons I designed. As soon as I was mobile, Yinsen and I built the Iron Man suit, and I escaped. At the time, I still didn't know who had put the hit on me, and the world was convinced Tony Stark was dead. So everyone involved in my rescue decided it would be a good idea to stay dead." His eyes flicked to Rhodey.

"But you killed Obadiah," Steve pointed out. "Why stay in hiding?"

"Obadiah was just one part of a larger conspiracy against me. It was pure luck that he didn't tell anyone else the truth about me. But my body was still healing. I was vulnerable. The Mark three was strong but it couldn't protect me from everything. If people had found out that I was alive, then there's no telling what could have happened to me. There were attempts on Iron Man's life. By people who didn't think Tony Stark's death was enough. After two years though, the attempts on my life stopped, and the world saw me as a hero. I didn't want to have to keep looking over my shoulder, so I decided to stay in hiding. Besides, I was doing much more good as Iron Man than I ever could as Tony Stark. The world was happy Tony Stark was dead. And Iron Man was my chance to start fresh," Tony finished. 

"You could have told us, at least. We're your teammates. Your family," Natasha spoke softly. "You can trust us."

"I didn't, though. Not in the beginning. Sure, we saved the world from an alien invasion. But that didn't mean I could trust you. Especially since two of you were known double agents. I just couldn't take my chances," Tony shrugged.

"Tony..." Bruce gripped the couch cushions so tightly that the fabric squeaked. "We've all been living together for two years. Almost three. Surely, at some point, you realized that we meant you no ill will?"

"Of course I did," Tony scoffed. "But by the time we all got close..." he shook his head. "It was a year before I realized I was being stupid and that I could trust you. But I was afraid of your reactions. I thought you would be angry with me. And I didn't want to get kicked off the team. And, no offense, but I was legitimately afraid of Bruce's wrath."

"Understandable," Bruce took a deep breath to try to relax. "But you were right in your assumptions. We are all very, very pissed off."

"I'm sorry," was all that Tony could think to say.

"Sorry doesn't cut it!" Clint punched the wall. "You lied to us for years! You, you...argh! I can't do this right now!" He collected his bow and quiver from the coffee table and stormed out of the room.

"You know so much about us. This was hardly fair." Natasha shot Tony a death glare before slipping out the door.

Tony hung his head, whispering another apology.

"Tony..." Bruce sighed. "You're my friend. A good friend. But this...hiding from us was not okay. I don't think I will ever forgive you for this. Don't come back to my lab. You're not welcome there anymore." He left the room with clenched fists.

"I had good faith in you, Man of Iron. I see now that my faith was misplaced," Thor probably didn't mean for his tone to be so sharp, but it still struck Tony like daggers. "Warriors must trust each other to not only have each other's backs but to also know one another's weaknesses. Your weakness is your mortality, and we had every right to know."

Tony kept his head bowed, not wanting to watch another teammate leave him.

"This was low, Stark. Even for you," Sam hissed. Tony didn't watch him go either.

"I need a minute with him," Steve said to Rhodey and Bucky. "Alone." Tony heard a pair of footsteps exiting the door. There was a minute of silence before Steve spoke again. "Anthony."

"Yes, dear?" Tony forced a cheerful smile. "And you can just call me Tony."

"We need to have a serious talk, _Tony_." Steve spat the last word. Tony felt like he had been slapped in the face. He looked up and found the super soldier standing directly in front of him.

"Right. Yes, of course," Tony's smile vanished.

"You lied to us. To _me_." Steve was leaning in close, and Tony felt the urge to shy away from him, but he held his ground. "Does trust mean nothing to you?"

"It means everything to me!"

"Then why lie?" Steve said. "I told you I loved you. And I meant it one hundred percent. I said, on multiple occasions, that I didn't care about what you were. Robot or human. It didn't matter to me because I loved you for you. You could have told me at any time. I would've still been mad. But you could've told me."

"I was scared," Tony admitted.

"Of what?" Steve narrowed his eyes. "You know I would never hurt you."

"I wasn't scared of you. I was afraid that telling you would ruin our relationship."

"I suppose your fears were justified." Steve took a deep breath, allowing himself to relax. "We're done here." The sharp look in Steve's eyes hadn't gone away. "I can't do this, Tony. I can't be with someone who doesn't trust me to the point of keeping their own name a secret."

"You...you're breaking up with me..." Tony whispered.

"I am."

Tony grabbed Steve's hands, "Steve, please, I'm sorry! I love you-"

"I don't care," Steve snatched his hands away as if he had been burned. "If you really loved me you would've told me the truth at the start."

"Steve, please, I can explain," Tony waved his hands frantically. "Please, give me another chance!"

"You've had plenty of chances," Steve hissed. "Two years worth of chances. What we had..." he shook his head in disgust. "That wasn't a healthy relationship, Tony. And we shouldn't continue it."

"Steve, please, you're all I have, don't leave me!" Tony begged, hands making a grab for Steve shirt only for the super soldier to slap them. "I'm sorry! I'll do anything, please-"

"We're done, Tony. Deal with it."

Tony backed into the wall, holding his shaking hands close to his chest. He felt tears prick his eye, but he refused to let them fall. He had ruined everything. Just like he had predicted. The team hated him. Steve hated him. Tony wanted to curl up and just _fucking die._

Steve's expression softened. "I want to still be friends. But I don't know if we can."

"I...I understand..." Tony whimpered. "I get it...who could stand being around a fuck up like me? Can't do anything right. Ruined the one good thing in my life." The tears started rolling down his cheek before he could stop them.

Steve dropped his forehead against Tony's, causing him to flinch. "Damnit. I made you cry..." He wiped away the tears with his thumb.

"Jerk," Tony choked out. He reached out to Steve, seeking his comfort on instinct.

But Steve pulled away. "I'm sorry, Tony." And with that, he was gone. The door closed with a soft click and Tony was entirely alone. He slid down to the floor and hugged his knees close to his chest.

Bucky came back a bit later. "He broke up with you...didn't he?" Tony hid his face in his knees. Bucky took a deep breath. "I kinda expected that but...damn."

"Sit with me," Tony whispered. Bucky did as he asked and put an arm around the sobbing cyborg.

"I'm sorry, Tony."

"So am I." 

* * *

Steve sat on the floor of his bedroom, leaning against the bed. His sketchbooks were spread out around him. One of the larger ones was open in his lap. Steve smiled fondly at the pictures as he thumbed through them. They were all drawings of Iron Man. A lot were of him in his workshop, performing various tasks. While others were of Iron Man interacting with the team. One of Steve's favorites was a sketch of Clint lying face down on the carpet, with Iron Man sitting cross-legged on top of him, looking awfully proud of himself. Steve smiled at the memory. The bot was more than happy to hold still long enough for Steve to render the picture in full color.

 _Cyborg._ Steve corrected himself. Not a bot. Never was. Steve leaned his head back against the mattress. He tried to think of all the times when the truth had stared him right in the face, but he had chosen to ignore it. The first thing that came to mind was the "water in the helmet" incident. Son of a bitch had gotten drunk. That much was obvious now. Clint claimed Iron Man had sneezed once. They had all laughed that off as Clint having a wild imagination. The more Steve thought about it, the more instances he remembered in which Iron Man had acted just a little _too_ human. Either in his speech or body language, or the way he would handle a given situation. Never relying on calculations or probability like Jarvis does. Always going with his gut feeling.

And then, of course, the most obvious. Iron Man's ability to feel pain. Both physical and emotional.

Steve sucked in a sharp breath. He was still kicking himself over the fact that he had made his lover cry. Ex-lover. God, had he really dumped Tony? Steve's heart clenched. He was still so angry at the other man, he couldn't bring himself to make up with Tony. He knew he should. He should march right back into that living room and give Tony a big hug. That's what he should do. But he knew he couldn't. He probably wouldn't be able to look at Tony without punching him in the face _._ He went back to flipping through the sketchbook, freezing when he came across an actual photograph. The image was taped in, Steve had been planning to use it as a reference for a drawing he never got around to starting.

The photo was taken by Pepper a few months after they had all moved into the tower. They had just gotten back from a mission. The team, the original six at the time, had collapsed onto the couch, all of them in various states of exhaustion. Thor was in the middle of the dog pile, doing his best to wrap his arms around his male teammates. Clint and Bruce were to his left, with Iron Man and Steve to his right. Natasha was laying across the back of the couch, shoving Iron Man's face into Steve's. Clint was reaching across Thor's lap to tug on Steve's sleeve. Despite being exhausted, everyone's faces were lit up with laughter.

Steve narrowed his eyes at the photo. More specifically at the jagged cut in Iron Man's forearm. There was red seeping out from the broken metal. The red was darker than the paint on his armor. Steve sudden felt sick and had to turn the page.

The next drawing was one of the several "Human Iron Man" drawings, with Tony Stark used as the inspiration. Steve tore it to shreds.

* * *

  
A week passed.

No one saw Tony. The cyborg had locked himself in the workshop the night Steve broke up with him and hadn't come out since. Bucky was angry. Angry at the Avengers for not trying to make amends with Tony. The Cyborg had risked his life to rescue the team. And none of them had even thanked him. They had just yelled at him and turned their backs on him. Bastards. Bucky was also angry with Steve. For making Tony feel unloved. Steve had every right to be mad. But he was supposed to be a responsible adult and team leader. He should be talking to Tony about this. Not abandoning him. Bucky had half a mind to lock everyone in a closet and force them to get along. 

"I'm going to beat Steve's star-spangled ass," Bucky made a bowl of cereal as aggressively as possible. He spilled milk on the counter in the process and practically beat the poor countertop with a paper towel.

"Don't. The team's already stretched thin. You'll just make this worse," Rhodey warned.

"Someone has to knock some sense into that guy!" Bucky stabbed the cereal with a spoon.

"Clint and Sam are threatening to leave the team," Rhodes said suddenly.

"What? Why?"

"They think Iron Man should be kicked off the Avengers. But Steve has the last say in who stays and who goes, and as mad as Steve is, he doesn't want Tony gone."

"But the others do," Bucky grumbled.

"Bruce is leaning towards leaving, too. And if he goes, then so will Thor," Rhodey sat back in his chair, drumming his fingers on the table.

"This is bullshit!" Bucky slammed his fist on the table.

"I for one am in full support of Stark remaining on the team," Natasha announced as she strode into the room, still wearing her nightgown.

Rhodes raised an eyebrow, "I'm surprised. You seemed pretty pissed at him..."

"I was. I got over it. He's family. And I will always trust him with my life. He had his reasons for staying hidden, and I don't hold it against him anymore." Natasha fluttered around the kitchen, putting on a pot of coffee and throwing some bread into the toaster. "The others are upset. But they all still adore Iron Man. They can't stay mad at him forever."

"They might adore Iron Man. But they hate Tony Stark," Bucky picked up his bowl. "I'm going to break into the workshop. Make sure he's eating."

"Please do," Rhodey murmured.

* * *

Another week passed.

Steve grunted as he drove punch after punch into the punching bag made to withstand his strength.

"I see you're in a good mood," Tony said from the doorway. Steve looked up, frowning when he saw that Tony was back in his armor. "I was being sarcastic. Damn. Go back to beating up the sandbag," Tony waved his hand dismissively.

Steve grunted and went back to throwing punches. "Haven't seen you around in awhile."

"I figured you needed space," Tony answered.

Steve didn't answer, continuing to pummel the bag.

"Can we talk?" Tony spoke after a few minutes.

"I have nothing to say to you."

"I have a lot to say."

"I don't want to hear it, Stark."

"The team won't talk to me, ya know." Tony went on anyway. "I walk in the room and everyone scatters. I tried to talk to Clint this morning, but he just yelled at me. Which, I probably deserved that." He took a deep breath. Steve could hear his armor whirr as he shifted from foot to foot. "I know I hurt you, Steve. And I'm sorry. I want to make things right between us...I just...I don't know what I'm supposed to do. How am I supposed to fix this if you won't talk to me?"

"Some things can't be fixed," Steve's frown deepened. "Maybe one day we can get over this. But for right now, I think it's best that you keep your distance."

"Stark men are made of iron," Tony said softly.

"What?"

Tony repeated the phrase. "Something my father used to tell me. I don't think he meant for me to take it literally. But here I am." He held out his arms, head cocked to the side.

"Tony."

"Yes, Cap?"

"I think you should leave," Steve steadied the punching bag with his hands.

"This is my gym, too." Tony protested. "And I'm not leaving until we have a heart to heart."

"I'd rather not take out my frustrations on you," Steve admitted. "So I advise that you leave. For your own safety."

"Actually, I deserve a good blow to the jaw. Maybe two. Go for my ribs if you want. That's the weakest part of my body, due to this little treasure," he tapped his arc reactor. Steve flinched. Tony stepped out of his armor and held out his arms once more. "Go on, Rogers. Take your best shot."

Steve glared at him. "I'm beyond furious with you right now, Tony. But part of me still loves you. And I could never forgive myself if I raised a hand against you. So please, just go."

"You sure? This is your one chance to express your rage," Tony offered, remaining where he was.

"Get out."

Tony held his gaze for another minute before leaving the room. The armor remained, and Steve could've sworn it was glaring at him.

"You too."

The armor turned on heel and followed its owner.

* * *

 Steve hovered in the doorway, staring at Tony. The man was lounging on the couch in the living room, chatting with Bucky. Neither man had noticed Steve yet. And Steve took the opportunity to really _look_ at Tony.

He was...beautiful.

His black hair was a mess, and he looked like he hadn't slept in awhile. But that didn't make him any less attractive in Steve's eyes. Steve's eyes traveled down Tony's body, taking in his slim figure. He was in just a tank top and sweatpants. The tank top was rather tight fitting, showing off his muscular torso. Damn. Steve swallowed hard. His eyes continued to travel down Tony's body, and he found that both his feet were prosthetic. He wondered just how much of Tony's body was robotic. The cyborg curled up in the corner of the couch, pulling a blanket around his shoulders, hiding his body from Steve's gaze. Steve frowned, questioning if Tony knew he was watching and had done that on purpose.

"I'm gonna go lay down," Tony announced. He stood up with the blanket still around him.

"Legs bothering you again?"

"That. And I'm just...tired."

Steve's heart ached at the empty look in Tony's brown eye.

Bucky nodded slowly. "Did you still want to get dinner tonight?"

"I'm not hungry."

"You've barely eaten all week."

"I'm not hungry," Tony repeated, starting for the door. His entire face lit up with joy upon seeing his ex-lover. "I changed my mind," he said to Bucky. "We should go to dinner. All three of us! Come to dinner with us, Cap, it'll be fun." He gave Steve a warm smile.

"Tony..." Steve took a deep breath. "Just stop." He turned on heel and left.

Tony would've been heartbroken if there was anything left to break.

* * *

Tony leaned over and manually ended the recording he had just made. He played the message over, making sure he had said everything he wanted to. He hated the way his voice cracked at the end of it, but he didn't have time to re-record.

"J, make sure Barnes gets this."

"Of course, sir. Shall I send it to him now?"

"No. Wait until after my mission is complete," Tony called his armor. The cold metal encased itself around his body. He shivered. "Jarvis, make sure no one can track me."

"Already done, sir."

"Good." Tony took one last look around his workshop. Everything had been packed away into boxes, with little notes describing what was inside. Just to make it easier on Pepper and the team. Dum-E whirred sadly. It, along with all the other bots were plugged into their charging ports. There was a note on the wall with specific instructions on how to take care of the bots. Tony gave each of them friendly pats before leaving the room.

He didn't see anyone on his way to the front door. At one point he thought he saw Bruce out of the corner of his eye, but if the scientist was there, he didn't make his presence known. Tony didn't bother checking for heat signatures. He ran into Steve in the lobby. The super soldier was halfway through the door when Tony rounded the corner. Both men froze. Steve opened his mouth to say something but snapped it shut. He took a few steps towards Tony.

Tony lifted his faceplate. "Cap."

"Shellhead," Steve smiled softly.

"I'm leaving," Tony said.

"Where will you go?" Steve's smile vanished, his brow furrowing in concern.

"I don't know. I'll send a postcard when I get there," Tony lied. He knew exactly where he was going. And what he was planning on doing when he got there. 

"You don't need to leave," Steve said. "The team still needs you."

"I beg to differ."

"I..." Steve took a deep breath. "I still need you, Tony."

"You told me to keep my distance. So here I am, putting distance between us." He made a dramatic sweeping motion with his arms.

Steve flinched at that. "I didn't mean-"

"Yes. You did."

"Don't go, Tony. Please." Steve took another step towards him. He now stood directly in front of Tony, their faces inches apart. "I still love you." He leaned in for a kiss.

The faceplate snapped shut, hitting Steve's nose in the process. "I don't believe you." Tony walked out the door. Steve was calling after him, but Tony ignored him. He blasted off into the sky and didn't look back.

* * *

  
Fearing for the wellbeing of his creator, Jarvis went against his orders and sent the message to Bucky as soon as Iron Man left the facility. Bucky was absolutely livid. He played the recording over twice, just to make sure he had heard Tony correctly. Steve burst into the room right after Bucky had finished playing it for the third time.

"Bucky! We have a serious problem! It's Tony, he-" Steve cut himself off when he saw the tiny hologram of Tony on Bucky's desk. The hologram was frozen, showing Tony with his arm outstretched to switch off an unseen camera.

"I know." Bucky stood, his chair squeaking loudly against the wood floor. "Assemble the Avengers. Right _fucking now._ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long angsty chapter for all your long angsty chapter needs.


	10. What really happened to Tony Stark?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who might not have seen my author's note before it was taken down:  
> I was unhappy with the direction this story was going.(this was meant to lead into an Age of Ultron story, but somehow wound up as a Civil War story) So I decided to rewrite part of it, starting with this chapter.  
> Everything up until Tony leaves the Avengers in chapter 9 remains exactly the same. The events from then onward are now extremely different. This rewrite will be putting the story back on track with the plot that was originally intended.  
> Sorry for any confusion this may have caused.

"I don't give a rat's ass about what's on that tape. I ain't watching it," Clint declared. The team had just gathered in the conference room. The holographic recording Tony had made was displayed in the center of the table. Bucky had tried to play it as soon as everyone was present, but half of the team had shut him down.

"How can you not care?!" Steve said. "He's gone off on a suicide mission! We need to know what exactly this is about so that we can help him." Steve looked and sounded upset. The soldier was pacing the room nervously, his eyes flicking between the hologram and the window. Bucky wanted to punch him in the face. How could he parade around, acting like he cared about Tony after he drove him away? Maybe if Steve had shown this level of concern for his boyfriend in the first place, they wouldn't be in this situation.

"That was his decision, if he wanted our help then he would've come to us," Sam pointed out.

Now it was Rhodey's turn to get upset. "Seriously?! You people turned your backs on him! Of course, he wasn't going to ask you for help. He left this message with Bucky. Someone he trusts one hundred percent to have his back. And Bucky's trusting us to have Tony's back, too. We need to watch this."

"Then you and Bucky should go help him. Leave us out of this," Clint practically hissed. He had stayed close to the door the entire conversation and now had one hand on the knob, ready to bolt at any second.

"This is ridiculous!" Natasha said. "We're supposed to be a team!"

"Stark lost his right to be on this team when he took off the mask," Bruce said. "No, my mistake. He never had a right to be on this team. We can't trust someone like him."

"He trusted us enough to reveal himself," Steve argued. "Both parties are at fault here. I believe listening to Tony's message is the first step to making things right."

"Things don't need to be 'made right'," Clint said. "I say we forget about him and move on."

"Clint!" Natasha gasped. "How can you..." She shook her head in disbelief. "How can you honestly think like that? Tony was like a brother to you. You said so yourself."

"No. Iron Man was like a brother to me. Now Iron Man is dead."

"Tony Stark is still alive-"

"Not to me." Clint flung open the double doors with more force than necessary.

"Barton!" Steve called after him. "Come back here, that's an order from your commander!" Hawkeye ignored him by slamming the door shut. His footsteps could be heard storming off down the hall.

"I'm sorry, Cap." Bruce gave Steve a look mixed with grief and exhaustion. "I just can't trust Tony after what he did. If he doesn't want to be a part of this team, then that's fine with me. You guys can go after him if you want, but I won't be a part of this rescue mission."

Steve held his gaze, "I'm sorry to hear that, Doctor Banner. Maybe if you listen to this recording you'll reconsider-"

"No, Cap. There's nothing to reconsider. I've made up my mind," Bruce followed Clint's lead, although he didn't slam the door like the former. He paused when he was just outside the doorway, giving Thor a questioning look.

"I wish to help Stark," Thor declared. Bruce's eyebrows shot up, having not expected that. "As disappointed in our robot-"

"Cyborg," Bucky corrected him.

Thor cleared his throat, "as disappointed in our cyborg as I may be. I can't find it in myself to hate him. Stark was merely protecting himself. He did the right thing, telling us the truth even though he knew it would harm our kinship. And for that I forgive him. "

"Of course you do," Bruce grumbled. The more he thought about it the more Thor's mindset made sense. He had forgiven Loki for a great deal of things. Tony's wrongdoings were practically nonexistent compared to the evil Loki had done. Thor gave his friend a pleading look, begging him to see reason. Bruce just shook his head and continued on down the hallway.

"Sorry, I'm out too." Sam raised his hands then let them drop against his thighs. "I don't know what's going on in Stark's head. But it ain't right. I don't trust that guy."

Steve hung his head and took a deep breath. "Anyone else out?"

The remaining members, Natasha, Bucky and Rhodey exchanged glances. None of them said a word.

"I hope you find him before he does something stupid," Sam said as he was shuffling to the door. "I don't like him. But I don't want him dead, either."

The disappointment was clear on Steve's face as he watched one of his closest friends walk out. "Play the recording, Buck."

The Avengers alarm blared before he got the chance.

"Tony's going to have to wait," Natasha sighed as she headed for the door.

Bucky panicked, "he can't! He's going on a suicide mission! He wants to take out Stane!"

"Tony can handle Stane," Rhodey had faith in the man he considered a brother.

"Each time he's fought Stane he's barely made it out alive. How many times has that many literally ripped out his heart? How many times has he beat him and left him for dead? Hell, he fractured Tony's skull earlier this year!"

Steve nearly choked, "h-he what? Was that when..."

"Iron Man told us he could feel pain? And was begging us to help him?" Bucky hissed. "Yes. It was. But that doesn't matter anymore. What matters is that he's gone after that psychopath while he himself is mentally unstable!"

"Guys, I'm as concerned about Tony's wellbeing as you are, but I really don't think we can sit this one out," Natasha held up her phone, having pulled up her news app to see if the Avengers Assembly call was enough to warrant nation news. It was.

"Fuck." Bucky looked back at the hologram on the table. It was frozen at the beginning. Tony was standing in a shy position, with his head bowed, and hands clasped behind his back. But Bucky knew him well enough to tell that he wasn't being shy. He was sad. He had given up, accepting the fact that this would be his last mission. And that he wouldn't have his family at his side during his last moments on earth. The longer Bucky stared at Tony's face, the worse he felt. He loved Tony, he truly did. But an entire city of people needed their help right now.

"Guys! Aliens in Chicago! We gotta go!" Clint yelled as he ran past the conference room on the way to the aircraft hangar. Steve glanced at Tony's image before collecting his shield and hurrying out the door.

Bucky was the last to leave. "I'm sorry, Tony." He dismissed the hologram with a wave of his hand.

* * *

Steve was exhausted. Night had fallen by the time the mess in Chicago had been taken care of. He could really do with a cold shower and a good night's rest. Maybe some food. A warm meal would be nice. But he couldn't bring himself to do any of that right now. He went straight to Iron Man's workshop. There was a small bit of hope in the back of his mind that Tony had completed his mission and that he would find the Cyborg hard at work. Or napping on the couch, still clad in his armor. 

Steve was still mad at Tony. Not quite the level of fury he had felt when Tony had first declared "I am Iron Man" in the stairwell of the Helicarrier. No, his rage had simmered down. Because at the end of the day, Iron Man-Tony-still meant the world to him. He was the thing that kept Steve moving forward in this strange new era. Iron Man had been there for Steve when he needed him most. He found himself torn between his love for the other man and the deep pain left by his betrayal. He needed to sit Tony down and properly talk to him about it. That's what he should've done two weeks ago. Tony had tried to talk to him, and Steve regretted shutting him down. The soldier stopped outside the workshop door, hand hovering over the control pad on the wall. He prayed that Tony was inside. That the cyborg would want to talk to him. He would understand if Tony didn't want to see him, but Steve had to try. There was no such thing as a perfect couple. Couples always had their squabbles. And they worked through them. Because that's what lovers do. They talk things over. Work through disputes. Make amends. Move on. Steve honestly wasn't sure he was ready to have this conversation. It had to be done, though. He pressed his hand to the control panel and the doors slid open with a gasp of air.

The workshop was empty. Steve didn't dare go inside. The door had opened with his fingerprints. Although, that didn't exactly mean he was welcome. So he hovered in the doorway, surveying the room. There was no sign of Tony. Everything was neatly packed away into labeled boxes. The stools stacked on top of the workbenches. The blankets on the couch folded and pushed underneath the coffee table. The bots shut off and plugged into their charging ports. The overhead lights were on. Tony hated those lights. Claimed they were too bright. He preferred the natural light from the large windows, or the simple bulbs hung over his workbench. The counter that would have housed the record player and gigantic stack of records was empty. The objects most likely in the cardboard box next to it. The words "for Rhodey and Steve" were written across the top in sharpy.

It was all wrong. All so very wrong. The place didn't even look like Tony's anymore. His tech was there. But _he_ wasn't. All traces of the unique man who once occupied the space were...gone.

"Jarvis?"

"Yes, Captain Rogers?"

"Is Tony alive?"

"I'm afraid I don't know the answer to that, Captain."

Steve frowned. "Aren't you connected to his armor?"

"Not anymore. His cybernetic enhancements mean that he can fully pilot the suit without my help," the AI explained. "I used to be connected to it as a precaution. I was disconnected before he left for his mission."

"Oh. So you have no idea where he is?" Steve leaned against the doorframe, the exhaustion taking its toll.

"No, Captain. I will let you know if that changes."

"Thanks, J." Steve turned on heel and almost ran into Pepper Pots, who was standing right behind him with her hands on her hips.

"I ought to smack you," she grabbed him by the collar and pulled him down to her level. "Tony said he told you all the truth. Said everything was fine. Told me not to worry because he had everything handled. But then I stop by for a visit and find out that everything is _not_ fine. Where is Tony?"

"I don't know. He ran off." Steve didn't try to fight back against her manhandling his shirt.

 _"He ran off."_ Pepper spit his words right back at him. "In his suit?"

"...yes..."

"You let an emotionally compromised person just run off in a suit of armor with enough weapons to level the city? What the hell is wrong with you, Rogers?!"

Steve held up his hands. "What was I supposed to do? Like you said, he has enough weapons in his body to destroy a city. Standing in his way wasn't exactly a good idea."

"You could've talked to him. Before it got to that point. Hell, you're Captain America! If anyone has a chance of fighting against Iron Man and winning, it's you!"

"I don't think getting physical with him would've been in anyone's best interest...Ms. Potts, I will make this right. I promise you-"

"I don't want your damn promises," Pepper snapped. "I don't care if you're mad at him. I would be too. And you had every right to break up with him. What you _don't_  get to do is push him away like that. He loved you. He loved the Avengers. All of you, with every fiber of his being. He would've given his life for any one of you without a second thought. He almost did, too, when he rescued you from the Helicarrier. And how did you thank him for that? By rejecting him. Pushed him to the side like he meant nothing to you. Hell, some of you threatened to quit the team because you couldn't stand to be in the same room as him! Dammit, Rogers..." She tightened her grip on his collar, her knuckles turning white. "I get it. People are upset. But Tony doesn't deserve to be rejected like that."

"I know, Pepper, I'm sorry-"

"I'm not the one you should be apologizing too."

"You're right..."

"His biological family rejected him. Did you know that?" Pepper went on. "He was never good enough for them. He worked his ass off trying to be good enough for you people." She gave Steve a sharp look. "You don't deserve him."

Steve knew she was right, but couldn't bring himself to admit it.

"You don't deserve him," she let go of his collar. "Except...I know you still love him. So I'm trusting you to bring him home."

"I will. I'll do everything in my power to make this right, Ms. Potts. You have my word," Steve straightened up and saluted her.

"You better. Because I will never forgive you if you don't." 

* * *

Tony Stark did not need the Avengers.

Tony Stark did not need Steve Rogers.

Tony Stark could handle rejection. He could, honestly. He's been dealing with rejection since the day he was born. Dealing with people who just wanted him for his money. For his influence, power, whatever thing fit their needs during any given week. No one ever stuck around. Not when they got to know the real Tony Stark. It was fine. Tony was used to it. What he wasn't used to was having his heart truly broken. The pain was worse than having his face blasted off. Okay. Maybe that was an exaggeration. But heartache still sucked.

Steve hated him. The team hated him.

All because of Tony. All because Tony decided to put a little faith in them by exposing his true face. He should've waited for his suit to arrive before he stormed the Hellicarrier. The team wouldn't have died in the twenty minutes that it had taken for the mark 43 to catch up to him. Tony would give anything to go back a few weeks. Undo everything. Go back to being a robot. At least then Steve would still love him.

"No. You don't deserve his love," Tony said out loud. There was no one around to hear him. He was soaring through the sky, miles above the clouds. Not another soul in sight. "You don't have a heart." He went on. "Fight and protect. That's your only mission in life. Fight and protect. Growing old with a hot super soldier isn't part of that mission."

Tony eventually landed at Rhodey's cabin, which had last been used when the Avengers had sought refuge after Iron Man had been framed for murder. Tony didn't turn on any of the lights. He wandered through the massive building, allowing the moonlight to light his way. Tony found himself walking slower and slower until he came to a halt by the balcony. The balcony where Steve had confessed his love for Iron Man. Tony smiled softly at the memory. Steve had been so honest with him. So kind. Tony remembered the way that his hair had shined in the moonlight. The warm, loving smile on his face. He wished Steve would smile at him like that again. Maybe he should have told Steve the truth then? No. Then the team would've just abandoned him sooner. Hell, they probably would've turned him over to SHIELD. Tony shuddered at the thought.

Iron Man marched away from the balcony. He went to the closest bedroom and promptly shed his armor. He was here to rest. Not reminisce. The cyborg had spent all day searching for Obadiah. This whole mess started with him. And it was going to end with him. Tony planned on taking himself down along with Obadiah. It seemed like a fitting end to Iron Man. Tony supposed he had a good run. He saved a lot of lives. Did a lot of good. He was proud of what he had been able to accomplish. But all good things must come to an end. Like his relationship with Steve. Tony fell face first onto the bed, wondering why he ever thought their relationship would actually work out.

Tony Stark didn't want to die.

But honestly...what was there left for him to live for?

Tony laid awake in that bed, thinking about his life, weighing his options, and wallowing in self-pity. He had come to the cabin to sleep before his final mission. But he didn't get one ounce of rest that night.

* * *

The next morning, Obadiah was the one who found Tony.

Iron Man had been flying over California when his HUD picked up a bogey. It was Stane. Flying right for him with a legion of bots. Iron Man hovered in the air, patiently waiting for his opponent to be within range. As soon as he was, all hell broke loose. 

Iron Man rocketed through the clouds, firing repulsors, missiles, bullets, anything and everything he had on his person. The bots put up one hell of a fight, but they stood no chance against Tony Stark. This was his last mission, and he was giving his all. He hadn't fought this hard since the battle of New York. And now his armor was more advanced than it had been back then. Nothing could stand in his way. No man. No robot. Obadiah was going down. Even if it cost Tony his life. 

"You're like a wild animal. So aggressive," Obadiah chided, he hovered about fifty feet above Iron Man, watching him rip apart the bots. "So emotional. Jeez."

"You want to see aggressive?!" Iron Man snarled. "I'll show you aggressive!" He ripped apart a bot's chest with his hands. The next second he was blasting up to Obadiah.  

"Let's have it then!" Obadiah called off his bots, wanting to fight Tony one on one.  

And fight they did. Metal clashed against metal. Sparks flew. Repulsors screamed. Tony was screaming too, out of pure pent-up rage. Obadiah had taken everything from him. And he was going to get his revenge. Obadiah grabbed him by the throat. Tony threw his weight to the side, sending them spiraling through the clouds. He managed to through Obadiah off. The older man regained his balance and barrelled into Tony's chest. The force of the blow was not pleasant. Tony used his flares to push Obadiah back. He shot his repulsor directly at the other man's head. Obadiah must have had the same idea, because his own repulsor met Tony's halfway. The two beams billowed between them, forming an angry, pulsing ball of energy. It wasn't going to pretty when it blew. Yet neither man backed down. Tony clenched his free hand and leaned forward, putting more power into his repulsor. His hand shook inside the gauntlet, but the armor held steady. Obadiah let out a shriek and put more force into his as well. Energy spiked in the middle. It was becoming unstable. White light engulfed the sky and then...

_**BOOM** _

The explosion shorted out Tony's suit. He was barely clinging to consciousness as he plummetted through the clouds. One of the bots grabbed him by the ankle, successfully stopping his fall. Tony used the last of his strength to lift his head. The bot stared down at him, soulless blue eyes meeting Tony's own. Tony let himself go limp, arms dangling below his head as darkness overtook his vision.

* * *

Tony awoke to the cold surface of an operating table. In a strange place with strange people in lab coats fluttering around him. He had been stripped of his armor and clothes, now wearing nothing but a pair of white shorts. Tony thrashed against his restraints. He tried to activate the repulsors in his prosthetics but nothing happened. He tried calling his armor next. It didn't come.

"Welcome to AIM, Mr. Stark," Obadiah smiled cruelly. "I wanted to kill you. I really did. But then Killian approached me about a new project of his. And hey, you seemed like exactly the right person to help him out."

Tony's eyes flitted around the room. He was in a lab of some kind. Complete with test tubes filled with strange liquids and trays lined with pointy objects. Fun.

"I think this is a much more fitting fate, don't you? I get to watch you suffer, and you get to contribute your last days to science. A win-win for both of us," Obadiah chuckled. "Enjoy your new science project," he said to a man standing over by a row of computers.

"Oh, I will," the man in the white lab coat didn't look up from whatever he was typing.

"Goodbye, Tony." Obadiah left the room, the door locking behind him.

* * *

  
Tony didn't scream. He didn't say a single word. Didn't shed a single tear as they literally tore him limb from limb. He couldn't feel pain in those limbs anyway. It did hurt when they started sticking wires in the mechanical side of his rib cage. When they stuck tubes into his artificial lung. That one really burned. Made his throat and human lung feel like they had been pumped full of acid. For all he knew, they could have. Tony didn't put it past those sick freaks.

These AIM "scientists" were fascinated with his eye. His _eye,_ of all things. Sure, it was impressive. It could read heat signatures. Energy signatures. Could scan people for injuries. It was directly connected to the HUD in his helmet. The camera shutters that acted as an eyelid were meant to protect his eye from damage. After all, the thing was fragile just like a real eye, but Tony had made the shutters to block projectiles. He hadn't made them with the ability to lock in place. They could easily be pried open. He never planned on one day being tied down to an operating table with mad scientist forcing his eye out of its socket. Yet that's exactly what happened. Someone used a screwdriver to push the shutters back into his socket. Then they took the damn thing right out of his skull. That pissed Tony off. That eye was _his_. It was the first thing he made when he had gotten home from Afghanistan and he was proud of it. And now people had their filthy hands all over his eye. Tony thrashed against his restraints, screaming curses until someone shoved a needle in his neck. Then everything went black.

* * *

The next time Tony awoke, his eye had been put back. He should be happy but he wasn't. Tony felt...violated. His eye was just as important to him as his arc reactor. Sure, he could live without the eye, but that wasn't the point. His eye appeared to be working normally. It felt gross, though. People had _touched_ it. If Tony ever got out of here, he planned on scrubbing the tiny orb for days.

Tony's torture fell into a routine. They would take him apart. Stick wires, and cables, and tubs in him. Makes some notes on their clipboards. Remove the foreign objects. Put him back together. Sometimes they took tissue samples. Sometimes they cut him open and poked around inside. Sometimes they felt generous enough to knock him out before doing that. They would torture him for a day, then give him a day to "heal". Whatever they were pumping into him through the IV stuck in his forearm had sped up the healing process. Tony was able to eat on 'healing' days. Able to sleep in an actual bed. At first, they kept his hands and feet bound. Now he was too weak to fight back, so they just dumped him onto the mattress as is. His body may be healed, but the emotional distress had done a number on him.

He wasn't exactly sure what their end goal was with him. If there was one at all. He heard the word 'Extremis' uttered on more than one occasion. The hell was Extremis?! He asked them once.

He asked them about it once.

"The future," was their answer. "You are invaluable to our research, Mr. Stark."

Tony perked up at that. Not because they said he was useful, but because he was finally getting answers after yelling at them for so long.

The scientist who spoke continued, "technopathy has always been a thing of fiction. Yet here you are. A cyborg capable or controlling a suit of armor with your mind. Your flesh has bound with machinery, nerves connected to wires, circuits fused with tissue. Something that shouldn't be possible. And again, here you are. Imagine the medical applications of all this. Amazing. Truly amazing." they made a swooping motion over Tony, who was strapped to the operating table, clad in nothing but white shorts. "I want to look into how the shoulder muscle is connected to the artificial one," they said to one of the other scientists. Tony sucked in a deep breath, preparing himself for the pain that was about to come with raw muscle being exposed.

* * *

Days turned into weeks.

Weeks into months.

Was Steve looking for him? Where any of the Avengers? Did they know he was in trouble? Or did they just assume he had died on his mission? He made it clear in his message to Bucky that he didn't think he would make it home. God. He wanted to go home. He wanted to go home so badly it hurt. He wanted to sit with his team in the living room, playing board games and watching shitty movies. He wanted to go out to lunch with Bucky again. Spar with Natasha. Pull pranks with Clint. Conduct science experiments with Bruce. Chat with Thor about the wonders of technology. Watch baseball with Sam. Have a beer with Rhodey. He wanted to be held in Steve's arms again. Wanted to fight at his side during missions. And then come home exhausted, the two of them collapsing onto the couch in the workshop for a brief nap before Steve broke out his sketchbook and Iron Man went about his repairs. Steve would smile at him, and Tony would smile back, even though Steve couldn't see it.

But that could never happen.

Because Steve didn't love him.

And Steve wasn't going to waste his time rescuing someone he didn't love.

* * *

Tony held the napkin up to the light. He frowned and put it back down on the mattress. His back hurt from hunching over, but he didn't care. Pain let him know he was still alive. Whether that was a good or bad thing, he hadn't quite decided. Today must have been some kind of holiday because this was his second day in a row that he had gone torture free. He assumed it was Thanksgiving. If he had been keeping track right. He picked his pencil up and kept working on the sketch.

The picture he had drawn resembled an Iron Man helmet, but with a wide-open mouth and four sharp teeth. He put antennae on it just for shits and giggles.

"Well, Ultron. You're looking mighty fine today," Tony hummed as he sharpened the edges on the eyes. "Pity I never got to make you. We would've had a lot of fun together. Two robots. Saving the world. Wouldn't that have been a hoot? Though I have to admit, you're getting more and more intimidating every time I draw you."

Tony pulled a pile of napkins out his pillowcase. They contained more pictures of Ultron, along with some notes about how he could improve the design for Ultron's AI. 

"If I ever get out of here, you're going to be the first thing I make," he added 'concussion beams' to the list of abilities he planned on giving the bot. "The Avengers want a robot. Here's their damn robot..." 

* * *

"Where did you find this?" Steve turned the bolt over in his palm, carefully examining the bright red paint on the end of it. 

"Mom an' pop shop in Colorado," Natasha reported. "Owner said this fell out of the sky two months ago. Hit her on the head. She had it on display in the window, saying it was alien tech."

Bucky took the bolt from Steve and compared it to one that he had just retrieved from Iron Man's workshop. "It's one of his alright. Think it's from his shoulder. Could be part of the knee joint, though. Did she have anything else?"

"No. I asked around town. People said they heard explosions on the same day, but no one saw anything. Rhodey's there now. Scanning for signs of Tony's tech."

Steve nodded, "let's go help him." After two months of non-stop searching, this was the first lead they had. 

Their small group arrived at the town a few hours later. They split up, asking around town and the surrounding area about possible Iron Man sightings. No one had seen anything. It had been cloudy that day, and whatever happened took place high above the clouds, out of sight of prying civilian eyes. Steve found another bolt on the side of the road. Rhodey found a clump of wires, but it was unclear if they belonged to Iron Man or not. 

"I think this is a dead end," Natasha sighed. She shuffled along the sidewalk, kicking a can along in front of her. Steve glanced at the object. She had been kicking it along for the last few blocks and he was at a loss for why she didn't just pick it up and throw it away. 

"He was here," Steve stopped at the street corner and looked up at the now clear skies. He still held the bolt tightly in his fist. 

"He was. But he's gone now." Natasha said. "Should we check the surrounding towns? I think the closest one is five miles north of here"

"Might as well," Steve let out a long sigh. "You go on ahead. I'll get Buck and Rhodes."

"Cap?" Natasha put a hand on his bicep. "We'll find him." Steve nodded slowly. "We will." Natasha squeezed his arm before heading back the way they had come.

Steve looked down at the bolt in his hand, running his gloved thumb over the red paint on the end. After two months, he couldn't find it in him to be mad at Tony anymore. They were still going to have a serious talk when they found him, but that was the least of his concerns. The wrongs they had done to each other seemed so small now. Tony was missing. Obadiah was still alive. They had figured that out a few weeks ago. Tony could be bleeding out in a ditch somewhere. He could already be dead. It was a very high possibility. And Steve felt sick just thinking about it. He didn't care about the lies Tony had told anymore. Didn't care about trying to make their relationship work. He just wanted to find Tony. Steve needed to know that he was alive. That he was breathing. That was all that mattered at this point in time.

The super soldier slipped the bolt into one of the pouches on his belt and went to collect Bucky and Rhodey.

* * *

Tony asked about the Avengers. He wanted to know what was happening outside the facility. Tony was in for quite the surprise when they parked him in front of a TV, the team's most recent press conference playing before him. Today was his "healing" day, and they were letting him move about a small section of the facility in a wheel chair. A wheelchair because he had been relieved of his legs yesterday. They watched him like a hawk, but at least he had some freedom to do as he pleased. He gathered from the limited decorations around the facility that it was the holiday season. Perhaps these people were feeling generous and that's why they were allowing him this small freedom.

Tony leaned back in his chair, human fingers tracing the tread on the tire. The press conference wasn't very interesting. Apparently, the Avengers had taken care of some threat down in South America. Nothing out of the ordinary when it came to the stuff they usually dealt with. But missions outside the states always resulted in press conferences. The conference was very relaxed. The reporters taking turns speaking for once, and Steve answering every question with earnest.

The Avengers themselves looked well rested. As if they hadn't just spent an entire week battling giant lizards in the mountains. Steve did look sad about something, though. Tony listened to his words carefully, trying to figure out why that might be.

 _"What happened to Iron Man? He hasn't been seen in a few months and the public wants an answer,"_ one of the news reporters asked.

For a brief moment, Steve looked taken aback. But then he cleared his throat and put on the same sad look he had been wearing the entire conference. He shuffled the stack of cards in his hands. Tony found that a bit odd. The Captain always spoke from his heart. No note cards required. What had changed? Why was he acting like this? It was baffling. " _Iron Man is no longer an Avenger. Recent events have proven that he was...untrustworthy, and therefore unfit to be on the team. It saddens all of us that this had to happen, but the safety of the Avengers is just as important as the safety of civilians. And we...we d-did what n-needed to be...d-done..."_  Steve's hands trembled. _"Excuse me. Ms. Romanoff will answer the rest of your questions,"_ Steve hurried off stage, with Bucky hard on his heels. The rest of the Avengers, who had been standing in a line behind the podium, exchanged looks. Natasha stepped forward and picked up the stack of cards Steve had left on the podium.

That was when something inside Tony snapped. Something deep, deep inside him. The safety of the Avengers? What about his safety? Of course, his safety didn't matter. No wonder they hadn't come for him. Did they know he was here? Were they letting him suffer on purpose? To teach him a lesson about _trust_? Fuck their lessons. Fuck the Avengers. Fuck them and everything they stood for.  _We did what needed to be done._ Fuck you, Steve. Fuck. You.

Tony saw red.

He was vaguely aware of the animal like scream that tore from his throat. He was more aware of the bits of armor crashing through the walls. Whatever had snapped in his mind had given him the final push he needed to call his armor from the room it was being kept in. The armor formed around his body, encasing him in the all too familiar metal. The faceplate snapped shut, and for the first time in a long time, Tony felt like he was in complete control. Now he towered over them, repulsors whirring to life, eyes blazing with pure rage. The people around him were screaming, begging for mercy.

Tony showed them no such thing. Three months ago, he would've been ashamed of what he had done to these humans. Now, he was past the point of caring. He completely forgot about the "protect" part of his mission. All he cared about right now was the "fight".

Less than an hour later, Iron Man found himself outside the facility he had been held captive in for so long. He stood up on the snowy hillside, blood dripping from his clenched fists as he watched the facility burn to the ground. The light was almost blinding against the night sky. Tony had never felt so satisfied to watch something burn. Every person in that building was most likely dead, their corpses burning away with the foundation. Every scrap of research done for the sake of Extremis was burning along with them. Digital records, physical notes and charts, tissue samples, all of it. Gone. There was a loud creaking noise, followed by a crash as part of the building collapsed in on itself. The collapse created a gust of wind that sprayed snow and embers into Iron Man's face.

Iron Man remained on the hillside until the remaining parts of the facility collapsed. Then to took to the skies. Tonight he was going to kill Obadiah. And there was nothing that could stand in his way.

Nothing but the depleting power levels of his armor, of course.

Tony let out a shocked cry when the HUD suddenly flickered out. And then he was falling, crashing through trees, being beaten this way and that. He hit the ground and bounced along the snow several yards before sliding to a halt. His head bumped against a light post.  

"Ow." Tony made no attempt to move. He lay splayed out on his back, staring at the single light bulb high above him. Was he in the middle of the road? There was too much snow on the ground to tell. Too much snow meant no cars, so he wasn't in danger of getting run over. It was cold out here. So very cold. And Tony was so very tired. He needed to get the heaters in his suit back online.

Unfortunately, he passed out before he was able to do so.

* * *

Three months.

That's how long Tony Stark had been missing.

Three months. Christmas was just around the corner. As time dragged on they started to lose hope of ever finding their beloved cyborg. 

Steve and his small pro-Tony Stark team never stopped searching. Unfortunately, other Avengers-related business had gotten in the way of them conducting a full on search and rescue mission. Their most recent trip to South America hadn't helped either. Pepper was getting increasingly upset with the team, especially those who chose not to partake in the search. Bruce claimed that Iron Man was just fine, and was probably hiding out in a small town somewhere, leading an all new life. Other members of the team shared similar thoughts. There was no proof that Tony was in danger. He was just...gone. Steve knew something was wrong, though. He had a feeling in his gut that something terrible, something truly awful had happened to Tony. And that he needed their help. They _needed_ to find him. 

Steve entered the living room, clad in full Captain America regalia, shield slung over his back. His boots were wet with snow, and tiny flakes sprinkled his helmet and shoulders.

"How'd the mission go?" Clint smiled at his leader.

"It went," Steve nodded slowly as he scanned the area. The living room was decked out in Christmas decorations, complete with a very large, overly adorned tree by the window. That wasn't there when he left a few days ago.

Clint followed his gaze to the tree, "Thor was excited to put it up, and we couldn't say no to him so...yeah." He clapped his hands together. Last Christmas, the Avengers had still been living in the tower. It was just the six of them back then, and they had all taken time out of their day to put the tree up together. It had taken hours due to them goofing around. They spent more time sticking ornaments on Iron Man than they did the actual tree. And then it was a whole other ordeal to get the damn things off him. Not because they were stuck, the ornaments were hanging loosely from the niches in his armor, some of them falling off at the slightest movement. It was hard to get the majority of them off him because Iron Man thought it was hilarious and wanted to keep wearing them. Especially the tensile wreath Thor had put around his neck. At one point Steve was convinced that Iron Man would never let the team take it from him. Steve smiled fondly at the memory.

"Heading home for the holidays, Hawkeye?" Steve nodded at the suitcase propped up on the couch. Next to it was a trash bag full of Christmas gifts.

"Yeah. I'll be back for New Years, though." Clint shrugged.

"You don't have to. Go spend as much time with your family as you need," Steve said.

"What if the team needs me?"

"We'll call you. Tell Laura and the kids I said 'hi'."

"I will."

Steve helped Clint take his things to his car. The Captain and the archer gave one another a warm embrace. "Safe travels."

"Thanks. And Steve?" Clint opened the driver's door but didn't get in.

"Hm?"

"I miss him."

"Who?"

"Iron Ma-uh, I mean Tony."

Steve frowned. Clint ran his gloved fingertips over the edge of the car door, his head was bowed, avoiding eye contact with Steve. "Thought you didn't like him?"

There was a moment of silence before Clint said, "Merry Christmas, Cap." The archer got into his vehicle and drove away. Steve hovered in the garage, looking at the deep tire tracks left in the snow. Wherever Tony was, Steve hoped he was warm.

* * *

  
Tony wasn't sure how long he lay in the snow. Hours? Days? Weeks? Who knows. It was still dark out when he regained consciousness. It was still unbearably cold, too. He almost panicked when he couldn't feel his toes, but then remembered he didn't have any. Snow had piled up on him while he was out. He jerked his head to the side to knock the flakes out of his eyes. The snow was coming down at a slow, steady pace, the tiny flakes fluttering in the breeze. Little flecks of white against the black shadows of the surrounding trees. The snow sucked all of the noise out of the air. The only sound was Tony's ragged breathing. The silence made Tony shiver even more than he already was. He tried to sit up, but the armor was completely dead and he didn't have the strength to move several hundred pounds of frozen metal.

Tony was going to die out here. Alone. And cold. He deserved it. After what he had done to those people at AIM. After what he had done to his team. But he had done a lot of good, too...right? Like carrying that nuke through the wormhole. Anger bubbled up in his gut. Anger for the fact that he was going to die alone. Anger for the team who had abandoned him. Anger directed at himself. Anger for Obadiah who causing all this. It wasn't  _fair._

Something heavy landed next to his head, kicking up a flurry of snow.

"Tony?" War Machine leaned over him. Tony relaxed at the sound of his friend's voice. Wait. Was Rhodey still his friend? He didn't try to save Tony. Why was he here now? Must have stumbled upon him by accident. He should have kept flying. No. No, this was a good thing. Rhodey finding him meant that Tony would have someone at his side when he died. Tony allowed himself a weak smile. Of course, Rhodey was still his friend. Of course, he was going to be with Tony when he died. "Jesus...what happened to you, buddy?" War Machine put a hand on his shoulder. Tony couldn't feel it through the armor but he knew it was there.

"Broke." Tony choked out.

"What's broken? The suit?" Rhodey must have seen that his eyes were dark. That the suit was dead. But Tony wasn't referring to the suit. "Are you injured?" The faceplate was ripped off. Cold air clawed at Tony's face. "Oh god, Tones..." Metal fingertips brushed over Tony's exposed cheek. "We need to get you to a hospital. Fuck. Hospital wouldn't be able to fix this...Jarvis, where should I take him?" Usually Tony would've flinched at the way Rhodey was touching the cybernetic parts of his face. He wore a prosthetic for a reason. What had happened to it? Tony was too tired to remember. Or care. "Alright. Alright. I'm gonna take you to Pepper. Just like we always do when you get hurt." The last sentence sounded like Rhodey was trying to reassure himself that Tony was going to be okay. Rhodey slipped one arm under Tony's shoulders, and the other under his knees. "I'm going to lift you up, okay?"

Darkness consumed his vision before he could respond. He was vaguely aware of Rhodey shouting at him to keep his eyes open.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for leaving such supportive and helpful feedback on my author's note! I feel more confident moving forward with this project now. One of the main concerns people had with chapters 10 and 11(other than the surprise hydra plot)was the pacing and behavior of the characters. So that was my main focus when I started rewriting. I think this chapter turned out pretty good, I'm actually really proud of it! This chapter was focussed on Tony, but the next one is going to be entirely from the Avengers' perspectives.  
> I hope you all will enjoy the new direction of this story.


	11. The AI

Natasha sat alone on the couch, her feet tucked under her. A blanket was wrapped around her shoulders, providing her with a warmth that her nightgown could not. It was quiet. Quiet was a term not often associated with the Avengers. And certainly not the home of said people. Their home was a place where everyone could be themselves. Many of the members had quite a bit of energy, and a lot to say to one another. Or a lot of yelling to do at one another. Depending on the time of day. Overall, the Avengers were a loud, rambunctious mess of a family and the quiet Natasha was experiencing made her uneasy. A few months ago, she would have enjoyed such peace. Not anymore.

When Tony revealed himself, the tension in the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Everyone had a short fuse. There was a lot of yelling in the two weeks leading up to Tony's disappearance. It was the wrong kind of sound, but at least there was sound. Then Tony went missing and it was as if all life had been sucked out of the building. Things just fell...quiet. People would be upbeat and energetic during missions, but as soon as the team returned home, all that energy vanished. No one wanted to admit they missed the cyborg. No one wanted to admit that Iron Man had been the heart of their team. Or that they had made a mistake by pushing him away. It made Natasha's blood boil, the way certain people wanted him gone, up until he actually left, and suddenly they weren't okay with him leaving. But did they help with search efforts? No. Of course not. Cause no one was willing to remove the sticks from their asses.

Clint in particular really made her want to punch something. Preferably Clint himself. Once, she had found the archer sitting on the floor in Tony's workshop. Clint had been holding one of Iron Man's helmets, eyes locked on the dark lenses. And then he had the gall to actually hug the helmet close to his chest. As if it meant something to him. Natasha supposed that it did, in a way. Clint always referred to Tony as "Iron Man". To Clint, Iron Man was dead. And Tony Stark killed him. She remembered screaming at him that day, trying to get it through his thick skull that Iron Man wasn't dead, and that he needed their help. He needed _Clint's_ help. Why couldn't Clint-

"Merry Christmas, Nat." Steve's voice broke through her thoughts. Natasha looked up to see the Captain standing next to the couch, holding a mug out to her with a fond smile.

Natasha gladly accepted the mug. "Hot chocolate with extra marshmallows? Oh, Cap, you know me so well."

Steve took a seat next to her and took a long sip of his own hot chocolate. It was Christmas morning, and the only people in the compound besides them were Bucky and Bruce. Everyone else had gone to see their loved ones. Thor had left two weeks ago to spend time with Jane and her family, and wouldn't be back until after the new year. Which was a surprise to Natasha, who had assumed Thor and Bruce were a couple, based on how close the two were.

"It's quiet," Natasha commented. Pale gray light filtered in through the large windows. The only real light in the room came from the flashing red and green bulbs of the Christmas tree. "It wasn't this quite last year."

"Things were different last year," Steve reminded her.

"What happened to our team, Cap?"

"People have families other than this one," Steve looked down at the dark liquid in his hands. "Kinda expected it to just be us this year."

"That's not what I meant," Natasha picked out a marshmallow and popped it into her mouth. "Nothing's been the same since Tony left. People are going through the four stages of grief all at once and it's tearing us apart."

"I know." Steve leaned back against the armrest. "You think finding Tony will change that?"

"I honestly couldn't say. It could bring everyone back together. Or it could split us apart for good. Won't know until it happens."

Steve rest his chin in his palm and looked over at the tree. 

"We'll find him."

"What if there's nothing left to find?" Steve whispered.

"Don't talk like that!" Bucky came out of nowhere and smacked Steve upside the head. "It's Christmas! Be happy, damnit! I'm going to make breakfast. What do you guys want? You know what? Fuck it. I'm making french toast. Deal with it."

"French toast sounds great, Buck," Steve chuckled. "Is Bruce up?"

"He's up. I don't think he'll be joining us for breakfast, though," Bucky said with a shrug. "He was awful upset about some stuff last night. I think he needs more time to calm down."

"What sort of stuff?" Natasha frowned.

Bucky shrugged again, "an old science buddy approached him about a new project. Something called...what was it...extemey? Extreemus? Extremis. That's it." The soldier strode over the kitchen. He made sure to raise his voice so his friends could hear him, "Bruce said it was too dangerous a project. But the guy has already been working on it for a few months and even started testing it on a human subject. Bruce said that it didn't sound like this person was consenting to be a lab rat."

"This sounds like Avengers business," Steve said. "If human experimentation is going on, then we need to shut it down. Bruce found out about this last night?"

"Yup," Bucky poked his head back into the living room. "He told me about it this morning after he calmed down a bit."

"We've dealt with this kind of thing before," Natasha tilted her head. "This...Extremis must be pretty bad if it made Bruce upset. Where's Bruce now? We need to get this sorted out-"

"I'm right here," Bruce appeared in the opposite doorway. Steve was surprised to see the haunted look on his face. "And the Extremis isn't the thing I'm upset about. I'm upset about who Killian chose to test it on." His eyes flashed green, and he had to take a deep breath to calm himself. "Killian didn't give me a name. Didn't say much about the person, other than making a side comment about how the arc reactor in his chest was making things difficult."

**_CRUNCH_ **

Natasha's head snapped in Steve's direction. The mug he had been holding was now in pieces, the hot chocolate dripping from his fingers. "I should've told you as soon as I found out, but the Hulk had other plans..." Bruce trailed off.

"Where?" Steve growled.

"Killian runs a company called AIM. They're located not far from here," Bruce said. "Are we suiting up?"

Steve rose to his feet. He rolled his shoulders and took a deep breath. "We leave in five." His tone was firm. Demanding. No room for arguing. Bucky, Bruce, and Natasha scrambled out of the room.

* * *

  
"Here, a gift from Pepper," Rhodey set a bowl of chicken noodle soup in Tony's waiting hands. Tony gave a soft "thanks". Rhodey took a seat next to the bed and propped his feet up on the mattress. Tony kept his head down, lazily stirring the soup with a spoon. "Eat."

"I'm not hungry," Tony shrugged.

"Liar." Rhodey folded his hands over his stomach.

Tony set the bowl in his lap and looked around the room curiously. His hair had grown out a bit, a few strands falling into his eyes when he turned his head. The bedroom was minimalistic. White walls, gray bedsheets, matching curtains. Some weird abstract painting on the far wall. There was an even weirder abstract sculpture on the sleek brown dresser. It was made of sticks that were rotating around each other. Tony never understood the appeal of modern art. And that sculpture, in particular, was ticking him off. Why the fuck was it moving like that? "Where am I?"

"Pepper's new place. In NYC. Her place in Malibu is still under construction," Rhodey explained. "You're in her bed by the way."

"Where is she?"

"Had to take a business call." Rhodey leaned over and tapped a knuckle on the bowl, "eat. She'll be upset if you reject her cooking."

Tony stirred the broth again. "I'm really not hungry."

"What happened to you, Tones?" Rhodey frowned. "I found you half dead in the snow this morning."

"Should've left me in the snow," Tony grumbled.

Rhodey took Tony's flesh hand and squeezed it. "Don't talk like that."

"Sorry, it's been a rough few months," Tony looked Rhodey in the eye for the first time since he woke up. "Didn't think I was gonna make it out of that place."

"What place? What happened?"

Tony set the soup on the nightstand and lifted the blankets. Pepper had put an older pair of legs on him. "Dammit. Gotta build a new set. Legs Mark Eleven."

Rhodey pushed the sheets back down. "We'll worry about that later. We need to talk about this 'place' you mentioned."

"How's my face?" Tony put his hands on his chin. "God, my beard probably looks awful. You got a razor I could borrow?" He ran his hands along his jaw. "Feels awful. Damn, I didn't know it could get this long."

"Don't flatter yourself, It's not that long," Rhodey rolled his eyes. Tony patted his flesh hand along various other parts of his body, mumbling about things that needed to be fixed. The eyelid shutters, in particular, were scratched up pretty bad. Tony didn't need to know that though. What he needed was to focus on the conversation. "Tony, we need to talk. You've been missing for three months."

"Three? I thought it was four. I must have miscounted. What day is today?" Tony retrieved his bowl and settled back against the mountain of gray pillows.

"Christmas."

"Huh," Tony finally ate a spoonful of noodles. "This is good..."

"Yeah, Pepper knows how to cook. But we both already knew that." Rhodey chuckled. He smiled as he watched Tony finish off the soup in a matter of minutes. A bit of life had returned to that dark brown eye, and that put part of Rhodey's mind at ease, gave him hope that Tony was going to be alright. When Rhodey had found him, lying in the middle of a road, half buried in the snow, he was sure that his friend was dead. When he had torn the faceplate off, and seen how much blood was on Tony's actual face...He thought for sure that it was all over. Thought that if Tony's face looked like that then there was no hope for the rest of his body. Once he got him cleaned up everything was surprisingly okay. He had sustained a head wound when he crashed, resulting in a lot of blood. And he had a lot of fresh scars on his body. Lots of recently healed cuts. His cybernetic parts could use a bit of tuning, but otherwise, he was okay.

Tony's eyes went back to flitting around the room, taking in every detail. There wasn't much to take in, so he started scrutinizing his hands. That's when it hit Rhodey. The lack of eye contact. The shaking hands. Avoiding his questions. He was acting just like he had when Rhodey had found him in the desert all those years ago.

"Tones..." Rhodey took his hand once more. "You were kidnapped. Weren't you?"

Tony flinched. So, that was a yes.

"They tortured you." That wasn't a question.

Tony looked at his palm. There was an empty hole were his repulsor should have been. "Yes."

"Do you know where you were kept? Are those bastards still out there somewhere?"

"No. I killed them. Burned the building to the ground," Tony whispered. "I want to go home."

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"I want to go home," Tony repeated.

"Some of the Avengers are still mad at you, buddy." Rhodey sighed. "I don't know if you should go home right after all the trauma you went through. I know you probably want to see your family, but if they see you...I don't think it will go over very well." Steve would want to see Tony. And Rhodey felt bad about denying both men the right to see each other after so long, but he just couldn't willingly let Tony walk into more emotional trauma. There's no telling how Clint would react. Or Bruce. Sam was starting to come around, so he might be okay. Keyword 'might'.

Tony looked at his now empty bowl. "I don't want to go home because of the Avengers. I miss my bots. And I have to repair myself."

"I can bring your tools here. Pepper won't mind."

"I'd rather just do the repairs in my workshop."

"Okay..." Rhodey pulled his phone out of his back pocket. "I'm gonna call Cap, let him know that you're coming to the compound." He had no intention of actually letting Tony go home so soon. Rhodey was going to call Steve, though. Call everyone on the team. Let them know Tony was alright. Give them time to process. Ease Tony back into their lives with as little yelling as possible.

"Don't call him," Tony spat.

Rhodey blinked, a bit taken aback by his hostility. "But you love Steve. Don't you want to see him?"

"Of course I do! But that doesn't mean he'll want to see me," Tony's hands were shaking. "He hates me. You'll ruin his Christmas by telling him you found me."

Rhodey swallowed hard. "Tony...Steve's been looking for you nonstop for the past three months. The guy barely sleeps anymore, he's been so worried about you." Tony kept his eyes downcast, gripping the bowl tighter to steady his hands. "He misses you so much it's hard to look at him. He's been parading around like a lost puppy," Rhodey sighed heavily. "I don't think he'll ever stop trying to find you. We need to tell him you're alive."

"He doesn't need to know anything," Tony's eye flashed, the little shapes spinning around erratically. "I don't know what you think you see in Steve, but I can assure you that he doesn't give two shits about me."

"Fine. He's going to find out eventually. And then he's gonna get pissy because I hid you from him."

Tony flinched at the thought of Steve getting angry.

"What about Bucky? I'm gonna call Bucky. He's been worried sick, too." Rhodey scrolled through his contacts. He hovered over Bucky's name for a moment, waiting for Tony to protest. Tony remained silent, staring at Rhodey expectedly. Rhodey pressed the call button.

* * *

  
"Rhodes?" Bucky held the phone to his ear, "keep it brief, we're a bit busy here." The soldier hopped over a charred wooden beam. A cloud of ashes kicked up when his feet hit the ground. He scanned the remains of the burnt building. Which was still burning in a few places.

"Busy with what, exactly?" Rhodey asked.

"We have a lead on what happened to Tony." Bucky reported. "We found something big-"

"I found something bigger." Rhodey sounded smug. Bucky didn't like that.

"Which is?" Bucky trudged through the uneven terrain. He thought he saw Natasha out of the corner of his eye, her hair fluttering in the breeze, but it turned out to be just a patch of embers.

"I found Tony."

Bucky stopped in his tracks.

Rhodey continued, "don't tell Stev-"

"STEEEEEEVE!!" Bucky screamed. "RHODEY FOUND TONY!!"

Rhodey groaned loudly. Steve barreled across the burned down building, practically tackling his teammate. "Is he okay?! I need to see him! Where is he now?!" Bucky handed the phone over, and Steve repeated his frantic questions.

"We're at Pepper's. Physically? He's going to be just fine."

Steve gulped, "mentally?"

"I don't know. He won't talk about it. But I think he was-dammit Tony! Stop trying to grab the phone! Wait your turn!" There was a jumble of noise, combined with a few colorful words for Tony. Steve had never been so happy to hear Iron Man curse. A door slammed and the noise stopped. "As I was saying," Rhodey took a deep breath. "He said something about being trapped somewhere. And I...I think he was tortured. He's got scars on his body that are a bit too neat to be from battle. His cybernetics are all kinds of fucked up, too. Whoever tried to take them apart didn't know what they were doing."

"Can I talk to him?" Steve pleaded. He needed to hear Tony's voice. He had just heard it, but he needed to hear it again. He needed solid proof that Tony was alive.

"He doesn't want to talk to you, Cap," Rhodey said flatly.

"What?"

"He thinks you hate him."

"I don't," Steve frowned.

"He obviously thinks otherwise. He also thinks I'm on the phone with Bucky. Not you," Rhodey informed him. "Bucky's the only person he wants to talk to right now." A door creaked open in the background. "Stop giving me that look, Tony! Fine, here." The microphone crackled.

"Bucky?" Tony's voice came through.

"Guess again, Shellhead." Steve kept his tone light. "How are you doing?"

Silence.

"Tony? Tony, we've been looking everywhere for you. Are you alright?" Steve tightened his grip on the phone. Bucky shifted from foot to foot nervously. At this point, Natasha and Bruce had made their way over. Natasha moved closer to Steve, worry clouding her expression. "Sweetheart, talk to me."

Tony hung up.

* * *

  
Tony glared at his reflection. He thought shaving would help him feel more like himself. For some reason, it didn't. He squinted his eyes at his image, trying to figure out what about his appearance made him feel so disgusted. His cybernetic eye was pretty fucked up, but that wasn't the reason. "Oh." It clicked in his head. He was looking at Tony Stark's reflection. He didn't feel like Tony Stark anymore. Tony Stark didn't make it out of that AIM facility. Whoever Tony was now, was not the person he had been three months ago. The person he was three months ago wouldn't have murdered those people. His reflection was a painful reminder of that. The cyborg went back out into the bedroom, making a beeline to where the armor was leaned against the wall. He knelt down and studied the helmet. "Hmm..." Tony plucked the object and carried it back to the bathroom. Putting it on, he looked at his reflection once more. This felt right. Seeing Iron Man's face instead of his own felt right. This was what he was meant to see. What everyone was meant to see. Tony's fingertips brushed over the earpieces of the helmet. "I am Iron Man."

A knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts. Tony set the helmet on the counter. "Come in."

The door opened, and a voice Tony hadn't heard in a very long time spoke. "Tony?"

Tony leaned out of the bathroom, gripping the doorframe with his metal hand. "Buck...?"

"Tony!" Bucky darted over and embraced his dearest friend. For a minute, he just held the other tightly in his arms, face smooshed in his dark hair. "I thought I lost you..." His right hand moved upwards to hold the back of Tony's head. Bucky was unable to keep his shoulders from shaking, much less keep himself from sobbing. "Thank god you're alright."

"Easy, big guy..." Tony wrapped his arms around Bucky. "You can't get rid of me that easily. I'm like a cockroach. Keep coming back."

"Don't compare yourself to a roach. It's disrespectful to them."

"Rude!" Tony punched his shoulder.

"Are you sure about this?" Rhodey said from the doorway. Pepper was at his side, looking worried. "Pepper and I think he should spend a few more days recovering before he goes home."

Tony groaned. "I'm fine, really!" Pepper shook her head, not believing him for a second. He appreciated what Pepper and Rhodey were doing for him, he really did. But he had been confined to Pepper's house for the past week and was starting to lose his mind. Modern art did that to a person.

"The whole team is back at the compound now," Bucky said to Rhodey. 

Rhodey sighed, "I know. And I don't want Tony getting yelled at as soon as he walks through the door. Which is why I think he should stay here a bit longer. Maybe talk things out over the phone-"

"They're not going to yell at him. They're all worried sick. That's why they came back to the compound." Bucky said. Tony scoffed at that. "Well, believe it or not, they are!" 

"I still think-"

Bucky cut Rhodey off by speaking to Tony. "Tones, you want to go home, don't you?" The cyborg nodded. "See, he want's to go home. And he has every right to."

Both Rhodey and Bucky's cellphones started blaring the Avengers alarm before the conversation could get any further.

"Stay here," Rhodey gave Tony a sharp look before leaving the room with Bucky.

Tony looked over at his suit. It was pretty beat up, but fully functional. Especially now that his damaged arc reactor had been replaced.

"Tony..." Pepper gave him a warning look. "No."

"Tony, yes," he grinned.

* * *

  
"Are you shitting me?!" Hawkeye yelled from his perch atop an apartment complex.

"Langauge," Captain America scolded.

Hawkeye scoffed, "why do aliens always attack in literally the worst time possible? Can't they wait till spring? When we're not all freezing our balls off?"

"You should take that up with them," Sam chuckled. "Maybe they have a suggestion box?"

"Can we focus?" Rhodey said. Thankfully, the fighting had been pushed to a less populated part of town. So far, no civilian casualties or injuries. Steve's plan was to keep pushing them towards the warehouse district and end things there.

"We're multitasking," Clint chirped. He took out another alien with an exploding arrow. These things were nowhere as advanced as the Chitauri. Their weapons consisted mostly of blades and a few guns. A bomb here and there. As far as alien invasions go, this one was not that bad. Clint figured they could have this wrapped up by dinner.

"No, you're just complaining," Natasha said.

"How are things going on your end, Hawkeye?" Steve spoke up. "I could use some help over here."

"On my way!" Clint responded as he jumped to the next roof over. The distance wasn't too bad, but the snow on the roof made landing a bit of a hassle. He stumbled in the slush for a minute before darting across the roof.

"Watch out!" Falcon's warning came a bit too late. Clint was already jumping to the next rooftop when an explosion took out one of the walls. The building crumbled and Clint fell down with it. The archer let out a horrified scream as he plummeted. He didn't have time to fire a grappling arrow. There wasn't much to grab onto anyone.

"OOF!" Something solid knocked the wind out of him. And then he was flying back up. "Iron Man?!"

"In the flesh. Well, titanium. You get it." Tony set Clint down on the neighboring building. "Stop falling from high places."

"Stark?!" Falcon landed next to them, wings folding neatly behind him. He pushed his goggles up, wanting to see Tony with his own two eyes.

Iron Man flinched at the sound of his name. "Yes..."

Falcon grinned and clapped a hand on Iron Man's shoulder. "Welcome back. We could really use your help."

"Iron Man's here?!" Steve said into the comms.

"Dammit, Tony!" Bucky snapped. "We told you to stay out of this one!"

Iron Man connected to their comms, "you could use a bit more firepower." He heard Bucky and Rhodey protesting, but opted to ignore them. He nodded to the two men next to him before leaping into the fray. The aliens barely stood a chance against War Machine. And with Iron Man at his side, the battle wasn't going to last much longer.

Before Iron Man really knew what he was doing, he was fighting back to back with Captain America. The two didn't say anything to one another. They were here to do their jobs, first and foremost. And that's what they intended on doing.

"Get down!" Iron Man called, raising his arms in an X. The back of his wrists slid open, revealing the lasers within. Steve dropped to his knees, shield held above his head. The cyborg spun in a circle, mowing down their attackers with the red lasers. He lowered his arms and Steve took that as his cue to stand up.

"You alright?" Iron Man's eyes locked on Steve's. He nodded. "Good." The cyborg shot off down the street. Steve hurried after him, using his shield to take down the few aliens that had somehow managed to avoid the lasers.

* * *

"That was reckless! And stupid!" Bucky said to Iron Man as soon as everyone got back to the compound.

"There were no casualties. No injuries. No destroyed property other than that one building. The aliens were barely a threat. More annoying than anything-"

"Stop it, Tony." Rhodey snapped. Iron Man made a growling noise at the sound of his own name. Rhodey chose to ignore that, "yes, the mission was a success. But you didn't know what you were flying into. Things could have been a lot worse. You could've gotten seriously hurt."

"Thankfully, that wasn't the case. Go easy on him, Rhodes," Steve spoke up. "Let's just be glad he's home." Iron Man glanced around the room, expecting his teammates to object to Steve's words. But they were all nodding in agreement. Hell, some of them were even smiling at Tony. Tony shook himself, baffled by their change in attitude towards him.

"He's not fit to be back in the field, though." Rhodey frowned.

"All my injuries have healed," Iron Man countered. "I'm more than capable of fighting."

"Physically, yes. You're fine. But mentally? Tony, what you experienced was extremely traumatic. You shouldn't be pushing yourself like this."

"I'm not pushing myself," Iron Man snapped. He wished Rhodey would stop calling him Tony. That name didn't belong to him anymore. The scientists at AIM had taken it from him. Left him a shell of a cyborg. He wanted Rhodey to know that, but he also didn't want Rhodey to think he was any weaker than he already did.

"All these years we've known each other, and you think I don't know when you're lying to me?" Rhodey crossed his arms. "I know that you're not coping. At all. How many panic attacks did you have yesterday? I believe it was three. You diving head first into Avengers duties is a bad idea and you know it."

"Shut it," Iron Man hissed. "I'm fine. I just need to repair myself."

Steve furrowed his brow. He had a very bad feeling about how Tony had phrased that last sentence. "We can help you, Tony. Whatever you need-"

"I'm  _fine."_

Rhodey took a seat on the couch and ran his hands over his face.

Natasha spoke up, "I agree with Rhodes, Tony-" Tony growled at his name again, "-you probably shouldn't have been out there today. At least let Bruce look you over before you go back to Avenger duties."

"Unnecessary," Iron Man shook his head.

"Very necessary!" Clint said. "Dude, we know what happened to you. We know you're not okay-"

Iron Man whirled on him. "You don't know jack shit!"

"Actually, we do know. We know that you were held captive. And used as the subject for medical experimentation." Bruce took off his glasses and tucked them into his shirt pocket. The other Avengers were shifting around the room, all of them looking a bit uncomfortable. "We know about AIM, about what they did to you-"

"YOU KNEW?!" Tony roared so loudly that the speakers crackled. Everyone jumped back except for Bruce, who held his ground. Tony approached the shorter man, fists balled at his sides. He hadn't so much as uttered the word "AIM" to Rhodey and Pepper. How the hell did Bruce know about it? "You _knew_." Bruce opened his mouth to object but Tony kept talking. "You  _let_ them cut me open. What kind of sick punishment was that?!

"What?!" Steve jolted, "no, no, you got it all wrong-"

"Yeah, that seems to be a common problem with me. Always in the wrong, eh?" Tony turned his cold gaze to his ex. "Shouldn't be out in the field. Shouldn't be trying to help. Trying to fix things with my teammates. I should _just stop_ shouldn't I?" He spat Steve's own words back at him, causing the soldier to flinch.

"I shouldn't have said that," Steve murmured.

Tony snorted at that. "You say a lot of funny things, Steve. Like what you said at that press conference not too long ago. About me being kicked off the team for being untrustworthy."

"Those weren't my words! Agent Hill instructed me to say those things-"

"I trusted you!" Tony shouted. He spun in a circle, fists slightly raised and shoulders hunched, acting like a wild animal defending itself. "I trusted all of you! That's why I let you see my goddamn face! Because of fucking trust! I trusted you all and this is what I get in return?! A team that's willing to feed me to the fucking wolves, and spread lies about me to protect their own skins?!" Tony knew in his heart that it was his fault for getting captured. He had run off on his own. And yet...he couldn't help but feel betrayed. If someone else on the team where to get captured, everyone would have dropped what they were doing and conducted a full-fledged rescue mission. So where the hell were they when Tony was being tortured? Where was Steve when Tony was having his eye ripped from his skull? Or all those nights, when Tony lay awake, shivering in the cold and whimpering in pain?

"Tones, we didn't find out until a few hours before you escaped. Bruce was the one who found out, but he Hulked out before he could tell anyone." Bucky stepped forward. "If we had known, we would've come for you. Please believe me when I say that we wouldn't have let you suffer another second in that hell hole, had we known sooner." Iron Man slowly turned to look at Bucky. Bucky was still his best friend, and he wanted to believe him. Bucky took the last step separating the two and pulled Iron Man into his arms. Tony didn't put up a fight. "I'm so sorry, we did everything we could." 

"We did," Steve confirmed. "We never stopped looking for you." Tony looked over his shoulder at Steve. Steve was a lot of things, but a liar wasn't one of them, as much as Tony hated to admit it.

Iron Man looked around the room at the Avengers. Bruce's face was full of remorse, borderline grief, his eyes pleading with Tony to forgive him. Thor stood next to the scientist, gripping his shoulder to reassure him. Tony couldn't read Thor's facial expression. The god wasn't happy. That much was clear. "Forgive us, Man of Iron. We have done you wrong." Thor's voice was soft. Tony averted his gaze. "This petty disagreement has led to great suffering for you. For that, we all offer our sincere apologies."

Sam had retreated into the corner, eyes downcast. Rhodey was still seated on the couch, eyes on Tony, yet not really looking at him. Natasha, Natasha of all people looked like she was on the verge of tears. Steve looked beyond crushed. As if his entire world had been destroyed. He opened his mouth to say something. No words came out. And then there was Clint. Clint who didn't dare take his eyes off Tony. His shoulders were shaking, his jaw tight. Tony looked away. He knew Clint's anger wasn't directed at him. That didn't mean he could bring himself to hold the archer's gaze.

"Tony?" Bucky pulled away. Tony's heart ached at the pain in Bucky's eyes. He hadn't meant to upset the super soldier. The Avengers hadn't left Tony to suffer as punishment. That much was clear to him now, and he felt regret for lashing out at them. "Tony, we-"

"Don't." Iron Man backed away. "Don't call me that."

"What do you mean?" Bucky frowned.

"My name is Iron Man," the cyborg hissed. "Tony Stark died in that AIM facility. And nothing you could say or do will ever bring him back." Iron Man turned on heel and left the room.

"Told you he's not okay..." Rhodey put his face in his hands.

* * *

  
Dinner that night was less than pleasant. Bruce cooked for everyone, including Tony, who he desperately wanted to make amends with. Unfortunately, the cyborg refused to come out of his workshop. The remaining members of the team picked at their dinner. None of them had been hungry as of late. It was hard to eat after learning their friend had been held captive tortured for the second time in his life.

"I should've helped," Clint whispered. "Look for him, I mean. Maybe if you guys had one more set of eyes, we could've-"

"What's done is done," Natasha shoved her plate towards the center of the table. She was somehow able to eat half her dinner before she completely lost her appetite. "What we need to do now is focus on helping Tony recover. Sam..." She gave the army counselor a pointed look.

"I doubt he'll want my help, although I can try," Sam shrugged. "I can help with his PTSD. But to be honest, I don't know where I'd even start with the identity crisis he's got going on."

"This is all my fault..." Steve dropped his head onto the table. Natasha rubbed a soothing hand on his back. "I pushed him away." What really bothered Steve, was that they still didn't know exactly what Tony had experienced. 'Medical experimentation' is a broad term. Tony clearly wasn't thinking straight. Had they done something to his head? Or was the emotional distress clouding his judgment? If he had stopped Tony from walking out that day, then none of this would have happened. 

"We all did," Clint muttered.

Bucky stormed into the kitchen and flung a plate at the table, knocking over the salad bowl and ranch. Bruce lunged forward to grab the falling objects. He righted them as he gave Bucky a questioning look. The plate he had thrown still had food on it. Said food was now scattered across the table.

"Stark won't eat," Bucky hissed. "I tried to force him, but his arm turned into this...canon thing." He held up his forearm and used his other hand to make a circular motion around his wrist. "Didn't know it could do that...anyway. Not the point. Point is, he won't eat, and I'd rather not get my head blown off."

"Let me try," Rhodey put fresh food on the plate and left the room. He returned a bit later without it. "He's eating now."

"How the _fuck_?!" Bucky threw his hands in the air.

"I threatened to sick Pepper on him," Rhodey smirked.

* * *

Iron Man sat on his couch, rummaging through a box on the coffee table. The food Rhodey had brought him was half eaten, the plate discarded on the floor. He pushed the box to the side and pulled a different one towards him. Everything was pretty much unpacked at this point. He was a bit surprised that the team hadn't gotten rid of all his stuff. In fact, everything was exactly where he left it. Someone had gone around and crossed out the names on all the sticky notes. A sticky note with a frowny face had been added to one of the boxes that had been left for Steve. Them not taking his stuff was a good thing, though. He would need this stuff to complete his next project.

The box he was currently going through didn't contain anything he needed. It was mostly personal items that had been marked "trash". Like clothes and what not. And apparently a few of Steve's drawings. These drawings would've been tacked up on the wall by the sink, but Tony had torn them all down and stuffed them in the box without a second thought.

Iron Man laid one of the drawings out on the coffee table. His metal fingers clinked against the glass as he smoothed out the creases. It was a drawing of Wall-E. The tiny bot was flying through space, holding a plant in its claws. Tony couldn't help but smile at the doodle. He and Steve had watched just about every robot movie they could find. Although that had kinda stopped after Ex Machina had scared the living shit out of Steve. They would still watch their favorites from time to time, though. Steve's was Iron Giant. He liked the underdog kid and his friendly giant. Tony liked Wall-E. He saw himself in the tiny bot who was trying his best to do that one job he was created for. Wall-E took quite a pounding in the film, but he kept moving forward, desperately trying to get that plant to where it needed to go. Iron Man traced a finger over the lines of the drawing as he thought about just how alike he and the little bot were. 

Iron Man took the drawing over to his desk and taped it to the side of one of the monitors. "Jarvis, I'd like to open a new project file. Titled 'Reset'."

"Of course, sir. File created."

"Transfer a copy of the Mark 46 schematics to this new file. Let's start by altering those." Iron Man took a seat at his desk and waved a hand over the keyboard. The keys instantly lit up. An image of the Iron Man suit popped up. He pointed at the faceplate and made a swiping motion with his index finger, removing the selected part. "Alright, Ultron. Let's get to work."

* * *

Steve didn't come into contact with Tony for a solid week. He wanted to make sure Tony to knew that he was loved and that they had been looking for him. And It was very hard to do that after the cyborg put his workshop on lockdown. Not even Rhodey or Bucky were allowed inside. Steve wasn't the brightest person when it came to relationships, but if there was ever a way to clearly state that you needed space, then that was it. So he didn't try to get into Tony's workshop. Didn't even try knocking on the door. Tony would open up when he was ready. He told the others to do the same. Despite their protests, the others listened to him. 

It was Rhodey who approached Steve one evening, telling him that Tony had lifted the lockdown and that now might be the best time to talk to him.

Steve found his beloved cyborg sitting at his workbench. There were at least five holographic monitors around him, and he was expertly using all five at one. Lines upon lines of code scrolled through the blue screens. The one on his left displayed charts that looked an awful lot like they were monitoring brain waves. They had to be Tony's own brainwaves, considering the thin band he wore around his head. There was a blinking blue square on his temple, attached to the band by a few wires.

"Hey, Cap!" Tony said. He sounded cheerful. The look on his face told a different story. "C'mere, I want to talk to you about stuff."

"What sort of stuff?" Steve moved around behind him to get a better look at the screens. 

"I'm creating a new AI system. Based on my brain patterns."

Steve blinked. "What for?"

"My replacement. Meet Ultron. He's going to be a better version of me," Tony clicked something that pulled up the sixth screen. This one showed the schematics for what looked like a new Iron Man suit. But not quite. There were certain parts of it that just felt...wrong.

"Why would you need a replacement?" Steve frowned.

"That was bad word choice. Think of it more as a fresh start," Tony clarified. "I'm making a copy of my brain that will be put inside a robot body. He'll be just like me. You won't even be able to tell the difference. Won't even notice I'm gone."

Steve shook himself, bewildered by what was happening. "What?! Why...I don't understand, why are you doing this?"

"Robots can't feel pain, Steve. And I just can't take it anymore." Tony paused, giving Steve a look he couldn't quite read. "Besides, the team needs a better bot."

Steve put a hand on Tony's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "No, we don't. You're plenty good enough just the way you are. Don't do this, Tony."

"My name is Iron Man."

"No, it's not!" Steve slammed his fist on the desk. Tony didn't even blink. "Your name is Tony Stark. You're human. Whether you believe that or not doesn't change the fact that you are human. And you don't get to just check out when things get rough. Whatever's going on inside your head, we can help you. There's therapy, medicine, whatever you need to feel whole again, we can get that for you."

"It's a little late for that," Tony turned his attention back to the screens.

"So what happens after you've created this...thing?" Steve waved a hand at the schematics. "What happens to... _you_?"

"I hadn't thought about that part yet. I suppose you can just throw me in a ditch on the side of the road." Tony shrugged. "This bot will be an exact copy of me. There won't be a need for two Iron Men, so you can get rid of the older model. I don't mind."

"Well, I do mind." Steve grabbed him by the wrist.

"Let. Go." Tony snarled.

"I'm sorry, Tony, but I can't let you do this."

Tony bristled, "I'm not asking for your permission, Rogers."

"Too bad. I'm not going to stand by and let you destroy yourself! Shut it down!" Steve ordered.

"NO." Tony's blue eye flashed, the shutters narrowing.

"IRON MAN, SHUT. IT. DOWN."

"LET GO. OF. ME." In one fluid motion, Tony had risen from his chair and knocked Steve back with the full force of his body. Steve fell against the opposite workbench. The collision pushed the table back, its legs scraping loudly on the concrete floor. A coffee mug fell off and shattered on the ground.

"Either you shut it down, or I will," Steve snarled.

Tony took a defensive stance. He held his arm out, and Steve watched wide-eyed at the prosthetic shifted. The metal plates gliding apart and blue light poured out of the gaps. The smaller parts of his hand moved at the same time, spinning and forming a barrel around the repulsor. Tony didn't aim the weapon at Steve, but the threat was still clear. His eyelid shutters spun tightly as if he was zeroing in on a target.

"I don't want to fight you, Tony."

 _"Iron Man_ ," Tony hissed.

"I don't want to fight you, _Iron Man_." Steve spat the name without meaning to. "Shut it down."

"Make me," Tony pointed his repulsor at Steve. "It's better this way, Steve."

"No, it isn't!" Steve shouted. "This is literally the worst possible thing you could ever do to yourself! This is suicide, Tony! SUICIDE! I'm not going to let you take your own life. Let you make some...copy of yourself! It's wrong! Everything about it is wrong and disgusting!"

"It's a copy. You won't know the difference-"

"Yes. I will," Steve marched forward and grabbed Tony by the collar. The repulsor was pointed at his temple now but Steve didn't care. "Nothing could ever replace you. Do you hear me?! Nothing! Do you want to know why? Because you're special! You're important, and you deserve to live a happy life, just like everyone else of this fucking team! You've been through too much bullshit to give up now!" Tony looked taken aback. Steve continued, "Tony Stark isn't dead. He's standing right in front of me, and I'm going to make sure he keeps standing. Because I'll be damned if I let you fall again. You're important to me. To the team. To the world. We _need_ Tony Stark. Not Iron Man. Not some bot with a copy of your brain. We need you." Steve decided to take a chance and put his hand on Tony's cheek. Surprisingly, Tony didn't pull away. "You mean so much to all of us. If you died...if you died, then..." Steve shook his head. "That would be the worst thing to ever happen to this team. And I...I don't want to live in a world that you don't exist in, Tony. Please, don't do this."

The humming from the repulsor fizzled out. Tony lowered his arm. Steve watched as the plates slid back into their passive state, reforming the shape of his arm.

"Do you really mean that?" Tony's eyes were wide. 

"I do." Steve put his other hand on the opposite side of Tony's face. "You mean the world to me. No, I take that back. You _are_ my world."

Tony tried to lower his gaze, but Steve wouldn't let him. Tony needed to know that he was loved. Because this was literally life or death, and he needed to know. "I want to be a robot again. I want us to all to be a family again. I want...god, I wish I'd never taken off my mask. I just can't keep doing this, Steve." His hands grabbed onto Steve's shirt. Even after everything that happened, he still found himself looking to Steve for comfort. "I'm sorry I wasn't a very good teammate. Or boyfriend. I tried. I really tried."

"I know, Tony. I know. You did the right thing. It's me who should be apologizing. I failed you." He planted a kiss on his forehead, "You don't have to be a robot for me to love you. I told you I'd love you no matter what you are, and I meant it."

Tony didn't say anything. He just slipped the band off his head and let it drop to the floor. It wasn't until he crushed it under his foot that Steve let out a sigh of relief. 

"If I may interrupt," Jarvis spoke up, "Mr. Wilson has asked me to inform you both that dinner is ready."

"Hungry?" Steve smiled at the shorter man. Tony hesitated before nodding. Steve put a gentle hand on the small of his back and guided him out of the workshop.

Meanwhile, one of the screens at Tony's desk started flashing with the words "AI Creation Successful".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Tony definitely watched Wall-E together. Don't lie to me and say they didn't. They probably watched Disney movies together too. I can picture Steve liking Tangled.


	12. Before

**June** , **2012**

_It was a month after the battle of New York that Steve Rogers was contacted by Pepper Potts, offering him a home at the newly renamed Avengers Tower. It only took Steve a few hours to take her up on the offer. As much as he enjoyed his tiny apartment in Brooklyn, it just wasn't what he would consider a home. Everyone he knew was gone. Their old homes still stood, but seeing new occupants in such places was just a painful reminder of what he lost. Brooklyn would always be number one in his heart, and as much as he hated to admit it, maybe it was time to move on. Start fresh. Preferably with the people whom he had just saved the world with._

_Turns out, he was the last one to move in. Pepper hadn't been sure if he would be willing to leave Brooklyn, so she had put off asking until the very last minute. Moving in was awkward. The team knew one another but they didn't_ know _one another. No one was really sure what was acceptable to say. They helped Cap move in quickly and quietly._

_The quiet did not last long._

_The day after Steve moved in, Iron Man showed up, along with his handler Pepper Potts._

_Pepper smiled brightly at the Avengers, who had gathered in the kitchen to say hello. Natasha and Clint sat at the table together, while Steve and Bruce hovered by the kitchen sink. Thor stood by himself in the doorway. Pepper cleared her throat before speaking. "I won't be staying long. Just seeing how everyone is settling in. If you need help with anything, just ask Iron Man. He knows this place like the back of his hand. Right?"_

_Iron Man grunted. "They're adults. They can find their way around."_

_"Be nice," she said to him as if she were a mother dropping her son off at school. "Answer their questions. And don't blow anyone up." Iron Man scoffed at that and moved to the other side of the room. Steve watched him closely. He had a lot of respect for the robot who had risked his life by flying a nuke through a portal in the sky. At the same time, he was also wary of the bot. His temperament obviously hadn't changed in the month since they saw each other last. Odds were, his horrible sense of humor hadn't changed either._

_"Wait, he's living with us?" Clint raised an eyebrow. "I thought he was your bodyguard. Shouldn't he be going wherever you go?"_

_"One, you are living with him. Not the other way around. This building technically belongs to him. And two, He's not my bodyguard," Pepper said._

_"Yes, I am," Iron Man snapped his head in her direction. "That's why I went to Japan with you."_

_"I don't need a bodyguard. We've already discussed this. You're an Avengers and you'll need to be available in case the world decides to implode on itself again."_

_"Whoa, whoa, whoa, what do you mean the building belongs to him?" Natasha frowned. "Can a robot own a building?"_

_"No. Of course not. That's why she said technically," Iron Man crossed his arms and leaned against the kitchen island. "The former owner of this building was my creator, remember? Usually, children inherit their parent's property." He glanced around at his teammates. "This has been my home for four years. I'm the only permanent resident, so technically this place is mine."_ _Steve nodded along to what he was saying. He was still in his "the future is fucking nuts" state of mind and would've accepted just about anything Iron Man or Pepper said to him._

_"So...roommates," Clint grinned at the robot._

_Iron Man's gaze fell on the archer. "Don't get too familiar, Barton. We'll hardly see one another."_

_"I think we should be making an effort to spend more time with one another," Steve put in. "We need to work on teamwork. Which will come more naturally if we are familiar with one another."_

_"How many trust falls do I need to do before I can leave, Cap?" Steve was not a fan of the mocking tone of Iron Man's voice._

_"Trust falls are bullshit," Clint commented._

_"I need to get going." Pepper cut in. "Steve? Can I talk to you for a moment?"_

_"Of course," Steve followed her to the living room, where the two could talk in private._

_"I need you to keep an eye on Iron Man for me," Pepper said._

_"Is there a problem?" Steve frowned. He wasn't a fan of the robot. Too much of a loose cannon. Literally. But at the end of the day, he knew the bot could be trusted. He hoped that whatever Pepper was about to say wouldn't change his mind about that._

_"I don't know yet," Pepper shrugged. "He's been acting odd ever since New York."_

_"Odd? How so?"_

_"Just...odd. Keep an eye on him. Whatever happened on the other side of that wormhole messed with his programming." Pepper explained. "I don't know how to fix it. Not yet, anyway. For now, just promise me you'll keep an eye on him. Don't let him do anything too reckless. If he does something stupid, I want to know about it."_

_"What kind of stupid?" Steve furrowed his brow, not really understanding how the incident could have affected a robot._

_"Self-destructive stupid. Just let me know. I really have to go. Don't hesitate to call if you need anything," Pepper gave him a kind smile before hurrying off to the elevator. She already had her phone out and was speaking to someone before she even punched the desired button._

* * *

_Keeping an eye on Iron Man was no easy task. Especially when he kept disappearing into thin air. Okay, so maybe Steve was exaggerating a bit on that one. But there were multiple instances were the super soldier would be following the bot at a distance, only to lose him around a corner. He just...vanished. Steve wanted to ask the team about it, but they would probably think he was crazy, so he kept it to himself. After a few days, Steve stopped following him around. Because to be honest, he wasn’t really sure what he was looking for. In Steve's defense, he only knew the bot for a total of 48 hours before the battle. And then it was an entire month before they made contact again. What counted as odd behavior? Iron Man was one of a kind. There wasn’t another robot to compare him to, so therefore, everything he did could be considered normal behavior. The chances of him displaying this "odd behavior" with Steve present was slim to none. Following him around was simply a waste of Steve's time._

_"Shut up," Iron Man snapped._

_Steve jumped, having not noticed the bot come into the library. "Excuse me?!"_

_"I can practically hear you thinking," Iron Man huffed. "I've never seen someone stare at a wall so intensely." He shifted his weight to one foot and put his hands on his hips. "Must be an interesting wall. You humans have odd notions of what art is," he tilted his head as if examining a priceless painting._

_"Do you have to refer to us as 'you humans'?" Steve looked down at the book in his lap. It had been open to page three for the past hour. He closed it and set it aside._

_"Would you prefer 'flesh bags'? That's what I call Clint. He loves it. Makes his whole day."_

_"I doubt that."_

_"You people are no fun," Iron Man stuck out his chin. "Lighten up a bit, Capsickle."_

_"Guess I'm just not used to robot humor," Steve smirked._

_"Better get used to it, Spangles." Iron Man did finger guns at him. Steve raised an eyebrow. “Why did I come in here?” Iron Man looked around, shrugged and left the room. Steve ran a hand through his hair as he once again thought about what Pepper had said to him. He came to the conclusion that Iron Man was an odd being by nature, and that there was no reason for him to be worried._

* * *

  
_"You're hurt."_

_Clint froze in his tracks. "Am not."_

_"Look me in the eye and say that, then," Iron Man's heavy footsteps approached Clint from behind. The archer slowly turned to face the bot, who was now towering directly behind him. Iron Man was just over six foot and built like a tank. As half of the team was. And Clint was not intimidated by them. Nope. Not at all. He was going to stand his ground against Iron Man, even though in this moment Clint felt even smaller next to the bot. Those glowing rectangles that made up the bot's eyes seemed to bore into Clint's very being. Not intimidated. Nope. Definitely not._

_"I am not. Hurt." Clint said slowly._

_Iron Man's eyes flashed. "Liar." He grabbed Clint by the wrist, causing him to cry out in pain. "Your hand is broken in three places. Wrist fractured in two."_

_"How did you-"_

_"I scanned you."_

_Clint yanked his hand free and took several steps back. "Don't do that!"_

_Iron Man tilted his head, "why not? I always scan the team after missions, which isn't saying much considering this was only our third one, but still-"_

_"Don't. It's creepy. You shouldn't, um, scan people." Clint cradled his broken hand close to his chest. "Ask people first."_

_"I don't ask for things," Iron Man huffed._

_Clint frowned, "yeah. I noticed. Kinda hard not too with the way you carry yourself. Walking around like you own the place and everyone in it."_

_"Don't change the subject, hawk shot. Why did you keep your injury from the team?"_

_“I can take care of it myself.” Iron Man did an odd movement with his head, jerking it at an angle. Clint took that as an eye roll. He took his teammate by the elbow and drug him to the infirmary. Clint was about to go about getting the medical supplies himself, but the robot made him sit on one of the cots while he went around and collected what he needed. Clint leaned over, trying to peer around Iron Man at the tray of medical supplies he was preparing. “You a doctor?”_

_“I know enough.”_

_“That’s reassuring,” Clint sat back. He tapped the fingers of his unbroken hand against his knee as he looked around the room. “I gotta say, I’m surprised you’re helping me. Didn’t think you were too fond of me.”_

_Iron Man paused. Keeping his back to Clint, he spoke, “you can be a pain in my gears. Doesn't mean I dislike you. Believe it or not, I actually care about you and everyone else on this team."_

_"You're a robot."_

_"Excellent observation. Would you like a gold sticker?" Iron Man glanced over his shoulder. “A lollipop, maybe?”_

_"I didn't think you were capable of empathy is all," Clint shrugged. "Thought you only had like three emotions."_

_"And I thought you were smarter than a child." The robot turned to face him fully. "I'm capable of feeling just as many emotions as you. Hold out your arm.” He set the tray down on the cot. Clint did as he was told. Iron Man made quick work of setting the bones. He wasn’t very gentle, but Clint could tell he was making an effort to be. “Promise me something.”_

_“Promise what?”_

_“Don’t hide your injuries. You're lucky it was just a broken hand this time,” Iron Man tossed the tray back onto the counter. “I won’t scan you again. As long as you promise not to keep secrets like that.”_

_Clint tilted his head, thinking it over. It wasn’t that he was hiding his injuries. It was more like he just wasn’t used to sharing. If he wasn’t working with Natasha, then he was working alone. And that meant licking his wounds in private. “Okay. Same goes for you.”_

_“Me?”_

_“Yes, you. You can get damaged.”_

_Iron Man shook his head. “Every part of my body can be replaced. Yours cannot.”_

_“Don’t care. I tell you if I get hurt. You tell me if you get hurt. No hiding.” Clint held out his unbroken hand for Iron Man to shake. Iron Man noticeably tensed up. “No hiding,” Clint repeated._

_“No hiding,” Iron Man shook his hand._

* * *

_"Pepper, can't you do anything?" Bruce groaned. "Iron Man's puns are driving us all up the wall."_

_“Did you seriously call me at four am because of Iron Man’s puns?” Pepper did not sound pleased._

_“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize it was four where you were, Mrs. Potts,” Bruce said quickly. “Seriously, though. How the hell do we shut him up?”_

_“I’ve been trying to shut him up for years. You think he listens to me?”_

_“Yes, actually. I'm calling you because he only listens to you.” Bruce glared out the window. It was night, yet the city below was just as awake as ever. Bright lights drowned out the stars, cars shot through the tight streets, no more than flashes of red and yellow from Bruce’s height. The lights of the living room were off. There was no need to waste power when the city provided him with all the light he could need. He put his forearm against the glass and laid his head against his arm._

_“No, he listens to Rhodey, too.”_

_“Who the hell is Rhodey?”_

_“I know his jokes suck. But believe me, there are much worse things he could be doing with his free time. I’m sorry, you’ll just have to deal with it,” the line went dead._

_Bruce took a deep breath and pocketed his phone._

_“No luck?” Steve leaned against the doorway. He found the entire situation way too amusing. He wouldn’t admit it to the team for fear that they would_ _come for his head, but he actually really enjoyed Iron Man’s jokes. They were a lot funnier when they weren’t in world ending situations. Jokes on the Helicarier during the Loki ordeal? Not funny. Not at all. Bird jokes directed at Clint during training? Hilarious._

_“Ya’know, something? Every choice I have ever made has led to this moment. I’m living in a skyscraper with a god who eats pop tarts, two assassins who spend more time in the air vents than their actual bedrooms, a super soldier from the 40’s with a metal frisbee, and a goddamn robot who comes into my lab at any given time just to crack a joke and offer me blueberries. This is my life. This is what everything has led too,” Bruce moved his arm out of the way and let his head fall against the cold window._

_“Careful, doc, sounds like you’re not too fond of us,” Steve chuckled._

_“I am very fond of you all. I just can’t believe this is my life,” he shook his head, brown curls sliding against the glass."It's weird. When you really think about it."_

_"Indeed..." There was a moment of silence before Steve asked, “Iron Man brings you blueberries?” Iron Man bringing food to his teammates was a common occurrence. Usually, one that happened after one of them had spent too long training and neglected to eat, or in Bruce’s case, spent too much time in the lab. Their bot was looking out for them, and Steve thought it was sweet._

_“Yes. I don’t know where he gets them from, and at this point, I’m afraid to ask.” Bruce huffed. Heavy footsteps, accompanied with soft whirring, was making its way towards the two men. “Iron Man, I swear to Odin, if you came up here just to make another bad pun, then I am going to reprogram your voice to sound like a dog.”_

_“Rude,” Iron Man stopped in his tracks. Steve glanced over at the robot. He was standing next to one of the stairways, hidden in its shadow. Well, half hidden. His eyes and arc reactor gave away his location._

_“Sorry, my fuse is a bit short, today,” Bruce muttered._

_“The Hulk room is-“_

_“I know,” Bruce snapped. He took a deep breath and spoke a bit softer, “I know. Speaking of the Hulk. How would you like to help me with a new project?”_

_Iron Man glowing eyes shifted to the side, signaling a head tilt. “What sort of project?”_

_Bruce turned to face the bot. “One I think you’re going to enjoy building. I like to call it the Hulk Buster. I’ve wanted to make something like this for awhile, and I think you’re just the bot to help me make it a reality. Busy?”_

_The Avengers alarm blared before he could answer. “Am now. Cap?” Iron Man looked to their leader for orders._

_“You know what to do. Suit up and meet at the Quinjet. Same as always,” Steve straightened up, taking on his Captain America persona instinctively._

* * *

  
_“There a reason you’re going through all this stuff?” Natasha frowned at the robot._

_“I don’t do anything without a reason,” Iron Man shrugged as he flipped through a stack of papers._

_“You shouldn’t be in here,” Natasha went on. The Avengers had spent the entire day on the Hellicarier, attending various meetings and working with some new SHIELD recruits. At some point during all this Iron Man had disappeared. The team wasn’t too worried about it. Iron Man had a habit of going off on his own. Nothing new there. Natasha, on the other hand, was bored out of her mind and took it upon herself to track down the golden Avenger. She eventually found him in one of the archive rooms. A few of the computers were turned on, displaying multiple open files. Iron Man didn’t seem too interested in those, however. He was more concerned with the filing cabinets he was digging through._

_“There’s a lot of things I probably shouldn’t do,” Iron Man slammed one of the cabinets shut and opened the one above it. “And yet.”_

_“And yet,” Natasha shook her head in disbelief. “You could get in a lot of trouble going through all this stuff.”_

_“If they don’t want people in here, then they should get a better lock on the door,” Iron Man pulled out a file and tossed it onto the nearest desk, where numerous other files had already amassed._

_Natasha spotted her name on one of the folders and plucked it from the stack. She flipped through it, her frown deepening. “You planning on reading this one?” She glared at the bot, not comfortable with him knowing so much about her._

_“I already did.”_

_“Excuse me?!” Natasha snapped the folder shut._

_Iron Man kept rifling through the cabinet, not in the least bit worried about her wrath. “You’re an assassin. What’s written in that file doesn’t surprise me. And it doesn’t change how I see you.”_

_“I don’t care how you see me! You don’t get to poke your nose where it doesn’t belong.”_

_Iron Man pushed the drawer shut and turned to look at her, “I wasn’t looking for information about you. I was looking for other things. Came across some stuff on you. I was curious. So I read it. I won’t tell anyone about it,” he motioned to the folder. “You have my word.”_

_Natasha took a deep breath and set the file back on the table. What’s done was done. The information he had uncovered wasn’t that detrimental to her. Like he had said, everyone knew she had a dark, bloody past. They probably wouldn’t be too shocked to learn the details. Still, she didn’t like that he now knew more about her than she knew about him. “So what were you looking for?”_

_Iron Man went about putting the files back where he found them. “I’m just being paranoid. Thought SHIELD might have something of mine. They don’t.”_

_“What sort of thing?”_

_“Doesn’t matter.”_

_Natasha narrowed her eyes, “what are you hiding, Iron Man?”_

_“I’m not hiding anything.”_

_“Then why won’t you tell me what you’re looking for? I might be able to help you find it,” Natasha offered._

_“I’m not telling you because it doesn’t matter. We should get back to the team.” Iron Man shoved the last of the documents into a random drawer and started for the door. Natasha grabbed him by the elbow and gave him a very stern look. “You just have to trust me on this one, Nat.”_

_“You’re acting too suspicious.”_

_“You always assume the worst in people."_

_"For good reason."_

_"I have nothing to hide. You on the other hand..."_

_“Yeah, yeah. You said you wouldn’t tell anyone about that. And I believe you about that. What I don’t believe is that whatever you were looking for isn’t important.”_

_“We need to get back to the team,” Iron Man pulled away from her and left the room. Natasha glanced over at the rows of filing cabinets one last time before following the robot._

* * *

_“I don’t trust that guy,” Natasha admitted. “He has to much free will for an AI. We should dial it back.”_

_“You’re suggesting we alter his programming?” Bruce frowned._

_“We may need to. He can’t keep disobeying orders like this-“_

_“No,” Steve cut her off. “We are not reprogramming him. It wouldn’t be fair. He has every right to his free will. We’ll just need to work a bit harder to get him to listen.” He was the one who had called the meeting after their most recent mission. He wanted to discuss what to do with Iron Man, who had once again ‘forgotten’ the plan. And although the mission had been a success, Iron Man's actions still put the team at risk. He was hoping the team would have suggestions on how to get Iron Man to see reason. Although, he wasn’t too thrilled with the more aggressive direction his team wanted to take. They had been a team for six months, and Iron Man still couldn’t figure out how to be a team player. Maybe it just wasn’t in his programming. There was no way Tony Stark could have predicted his bot working with a superhero team. Still, rewriting said code seemed a bit drastic. Steve wasn’t willing to cross that line. Not now. Not ever._

_“You’re too soft on the bot,” Natasha frowned._

_“Steve’s got a point though. It wouldn’t be fair to Iron Man. How would you feel if someone got in your head and poked around?” Clint hissed. What Loki had done to him was still too fresh in his mind._

_Natasha quickly backtracked, “it wouldn’t be the same thing as mind control-“_

_“Yes,” Clint clenched his fists on top of the table. “It would be. We are not reprogramming Iron Man. End of discussion.” Natasha lowered her head, accepting defeat._

_“We just need to talk to him,” Bruce said. “In a way that he understands. Maybe we should call Pepper. She always seems to know what to say to him.”_

_“Good idea,” Steve nodded in agreement._

_“We’ve tried talking to him. Pepper’s tried talking to him,” Clint pointed out. “He just doesn’t know how to work as a team player. We need to do something more direct than talking to him. And no,” he pointed at Natasha, “not reprogram him. I don’t know what we should do, but talking it out obviously isn’t working."_

_“Reprogramming might be the only way. We can’t trust him. He’s putting us all at risk by making his own plans on the spot. Plus, he’s hiding something,” Natasha whispered the last part. “Like I said, I don’t trust him.”_

_“What would he be hiding?” Thor leaned forward, folding his hands on the table._

_“I’ll let you all know when I figure it out.”_

_“We all have our secrets, Nat,” Clint reminded her._

_“Not like this. Something's off about that bot. I’m going to get to the bottom of it,” Natasha declared._

_“Let’s focus on building teamwork skills first,” Steve said. He personally didn't believe Natasha. She had just about as many trust issues are Fury. Of course, she would be wary about the robot who could think for himself. Steve, on the other hand, trusted Iron Man with his life and wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. “I think, for now, I’m going to double our time spent training. What you do during your solo training time is still up to you, but I want to spend more time training as a team. We’ll see how well that works out, and go from there.”_

* * *

_Clint swirled his glass in his hand. He didn’t usually drink, but today was an exception. The archer let out a long sigh and leaned his head back against the chair. The living room was empty other than him and the robot sitting on the couch across from him. Everything in the room had been tinted orange due to the setting sun, including Iron Man's armor, which gave the illusion of being alight with fire. Clint smiled at the way Iron Man was sitting. One arm across the back of the couch, right ankle resting on his left knee. His eyes were directed at the large windows that made up the front wall of the living room. He didn’t make a single sound, content with watching the sunset in silence. All in all, the robot looked very relaxed._

_“What’s with the scotch?”_

_Clint jumped when the robot spoke to him. “Well…there was a mission today.”_

_“Missions are common in our line of work,” Iron Man kept his eyes on the windows as he traced the seam of the couch cushion with an index finger._

_“I missed my anniversary because of it.” Clint sighed. Iron Man turned his head to look at the archer. “The wife said it was fine. That we could celebrate this weekend. And that it worked out better this way because then it would be easier to get a babysitter-“_

_“You’re married.” Iron Man stated. “You have children.”_

_“Yep.”_

_"I thought you and Widow-"_

_"We're just friends."_

_"Oh."_

_"Yep."_

_“Mission’s over. Why not go home to them? You could still take your wife out to dinner,” Iron Man pointed out._

_“They live halfway across the country. It’s a two-day drive. I’m leaving in the morning,” Clint explained. “Oh, and, um, don’t tell anyone that I have a family. Nat knows. But I don’t really want anyone else to know. I mean, if they find out, they find out, no big deal. I know the team isn’t a threat to my family, just…I worry. So don’t tell anyone.”_

_Iron Man nodded slowly, his gaze drifting down to the glass in Clint’s hands. “Why tell me, then?”_

_“Because you’re the most trustworthy person on this team.”_

_Iron Man uncrossed his legs and leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “What makes you so sure of that?”_

_“You’re a robot, with specific programming you have to follow. Also, you don’t have a family. You can’t feel pain. You have nothing to lose. Sorry to be a bit morbid here, but that means I can trust you not to spill the beans if someone tries to torture information out of you,” Clint shrugged. “Wait, your brain’s like a computer right? Would someone be able to just…I don’t know, plug you into another computer and open your memories-“_

_“It doesn’t work like that,” he cut the other off. “And you’re wrong. I do have a lot to lose. I have you, and Pepper, and the rest of the team.” He sighed and leaned back, crossing his legs once more. “I guess you’re right though, I wouldn’t ‘spill the beans’ if I was being tortured. I'm not the kind of person who would put your family at risk like that.”_

_“See? Trustworthy.”_

_“Right…trustworthy.” Iron Man looked down at his right hand. He moved his fingers around, making the repulsor brighten for a brief moment._

_“My family means the world to me,” Clint went on. “I don’t know if you understand what it feels like to have a familiar bond with someone.”_

_“I…no. I suppose I don’t. Stark didn’t live long enough for us to be that close.”_

_Clint gave the robot a look of pity. “I’m not really sure how to explain it to someone who hasn’t experienced it. But…it’s one of the best feelings in the world, going home to a place where you know you’re loved without a doubt. And loving them back. I would die for my family.”_

_“The Avengers are my family,” Iron Man decided right then and there. “I would die for any of you.”_

_Clint chuckled, “maybe you do know what it feels like then. Anyway, I guess what I’m trying to say is that my family is the most important thing in my life. My deepest, most guarded secret, and I’m trusting you with this. Don’t make me regret it.”_

_“I won’t. You have my word.”_

_Clint smiled and raised his glass in a toast before bringing it to his lips. He downed the remainder of the contents and set the glass on the coffee table. “You know, I’ve been thinking…”_

_“Uh-oh. That’s never a good thing,” Iron Man tipped his head._

_“Kinda wish you were a human. You’d be a fun drinking buddy.”_

_“I doubt that.”_

_Clint shrugged, “never know. Anyway…I should probably tell you that certain members of the team don’t think you’re as trustworthy as I do.”_

_Iron Man crossed his arms, “I’m well aware.”_

_“Natasha thinks you’re hiding something from us.” Iron Man didn’t have anything to say to that. His eyes seemed to shine brighter and brighter as the sun went down. Clint met his gaze, subconsciously searching for answers in those pupil-less eyes. “You’re not though. What would you have to hide from us?”_

_Iron Man nodded in agreement, “nothing. I have absolutely nothing to hide.”_

* * *

  
_"Hey, buddy," Iron Man tilted his head back all the way in order to look the towering giant in the eye. “Here’s what we’re going to do. You’re going to go smash some stuff, and I’m going to write down some stuff. For science. Understand?”_

_“Hulk understand that Hulk get to smash,” Hulk grunted._

_Iron Man nodded. “Smash as much of this stuff as you want. I want to know how strong you are.”_

_"Hulk like this plan. Hulk like puny robot." Hulk pat the robot's head with his massive head. "Robot is Hulk's friend."_

_"That's right," Iron Man gave him a thumbs up._

_"Puny bot funny. Tell joke."_

_Iron Man fumbled to come up with something. Before he could, though, Hulk gathered the robot up in his arms and gave him a bear hug. “Hulk go smash stuff. Make puny robot happy.”_

_“Thanks, big guy. Have fun,” Iron Man gave him a pat on the arm. “You can put me down now.” Hulk did as he was asked before moving to the other side of the training hall, where Iron Man had laid out various objects for him to destroy. The robot took picked his notebook and pen up from one of the benches. He scribbled in the corner of the first clean page, making sure there was enough ink. “Alright, Hulk. Smash.”_

* * *

_“Huh,” Bruce said to himself as he and Iron Man examined data on the glass screens in Bruce’s lab. “Interesting.” Iron Man nodded in agreement. They had spent the better part of the week collecting data on the Hulk. Bruce looked higher than a kite, practically bouncing around the lab after getting a weeks worth of pent-up rage out of his system. Iron Man used two fingers to scroll through one of the charts. “Quite a lot of data you got.”_

_“I didn’t want to miss anything. If the Hulk Buster is going to work then we needed to be absolutely sure of a few things.” Iron Man swiped right, pulling up another chart. “Sure he doesn’t have any other weaknesses?” The data they had collected showed the Hulk did have weaknesses. Certain parts of his body were a bit more vulnerable than the others, due to him constantly leaving himself open. Like his nose, for example. Bruce had also admitted that the Hulk could indeed bleed. It just took a lot of heavy hitting. Like Bruce, the Hulk apparently didn’t have the greatest eyesight. Nothing too bad, but something that could be used to an attackers advantage if they had no other option._

_“Positive. Best thing to do is catch him off guard. Or make a distraction, then go in for the kill. Well, he can’t be killed, but you know what I mean.”_

_Iron Man nodded, “we’ll put in plenty of flares, then.”_

_Bruce hummed in agreement, moving over to the other side of the room and switched on the larger screens. In any other circumstance, he wouldn’t have been comfortable with letting someone study his other side so closely, letting them learn such intimate details about the Hulk. But this was Iron Man. Bruce’s closest friend among the Avengers. Thor was still his best friend. The cheerful god treated him like any other person. And he was just a fun person to be around. Bruce liked him. However, their relationship wasn’t as close-knit to the one he and Iron Man shared. The bot was completely honest with him when it came to literally everything, and Bruce was the same way. Wasn’t like they had much to hide anyway. Bruce’s cards were now all laid out on the screen Iron Man was still studying. And Bruce knew quite a bit about Iron Man’s own body. Bruce felt as though they were now close in a way that few could achieve._

_Bruce pulled up the schematics Iron Man had provided of himself, which would be altered to create the Hulk Buster. Bruce was completely unaware of the fact that half of the schematics were fake. He had no idea that there was an actual beating heart next to the arc reactor. Or actual blood pumping through veins, not just the motor oil that they had all seen spill from Iron Man's body during their most intense battles. "Where should we put the flares?"_

_"Hips. That's where I keep mine. Worked out pretty good so far," Iron Man moved over to stand next to the shorter scientist. His metal fingers danced across the glass, taking apart the schematics and moving various pieces around._

* * *

_Steve groaned as he slowly pried open his eyes. God. His head was pounding. Why…oh. He had been hit in the head with a projectile. Must have knocked him out cold, because now he was lying on his side in the dirt. Steve blinked a few times. His ears were ringing, his vision foggy. The Captain continued to lie on his side, thinking hard about how he had come to be in this position. Projectile. Battle. Oh right, he and Iron Man were on a mission together. No. That wasn’t right. The whole team was there. But it was Iron Man who had been at his side during the entire fight. Why were they fighting? Were where they…? Germany! Somewhere in Germany. That sounded right. Hydra had gotten ahold of some Chitauri tech and were combining it with human weapons. The Avengers showed up to shut it down and things got out of hand._

_A particularly loud explosion a bit too close to Cap’s head snapped him back to reality. The ringing in his ears was dying down, and he became very aware of the repulsor blasts coming from above him. He blinked a few times to focus his eyes. The first thing he saw was Iron Man’s foot right next to his arm. Steve flinched at the sound of rapid gunfire coming from above him. He twisted around, looking up._

_Iron Man stood directly over Steve, one foot on either side of the soldier’s torso. He had his right arm raised, using his repulser to keep the enemy at bay. In his left arm, he wielded the shield, protecting them both from any projectiles. Iron Man pivoted in place, an animal like snarl escaping his speakers. “Cap’s down!” Iron Man yelled, the words coming from above Steve as well as the communicator in his ear. “I’ve got him covered. Stick with the plan.” Steve snorted at that. The extra team training must have paid off if Iron Man was now the one suggesting they stick to the plan. Iron Man glanced down at the man between his feet, “you’re awake.” Bullets struck Iron Man on the side of the head. He didn’t even flinch._

_Steve nodded. “How’re things going?”_

_“Surprisingly okay, other than you getting hit in the-SHIT!” Iron Man ducked down, shielding Steve with his body while holding the soldier’s shield over both of them. Something big struck the shield, creating a loud bang that brought the ringing back to Steve’s ears. “We need to get you out of here.”_

_“I can still fight-“_

_“You have a concussion. I’m getting you out of here, Cap. Hold this.” The bot manhandled the shield onto Steve’s forearm._

_“I’ve fought with concussions before. I can keep going. We need to get to higher ground-“ Iron Man looped his arms around Steve’s waist and shot up into the sky. “-WHOA!” Steve gasped. This was his first time flying with the robot. And damn, he was fast. Steve fumbled to find something to grab onto. He settled with clinging to the robot’s arms. Missiles locked onto the two men, speeding towards them at an alarming rate. Iron Man tightened his grip on Steve and ducked low to the ground. One of the missiles crashed into the dirt. The other two pulled up just in time. Iron Man made several sharp turns, zig-zagging his way through the dense forest. Steve watched the missiles over his shoulder. The second one collided with a rocky hillside. Iron Man darted between a set of trees that were so close together, that Steve felt the bark scrape his arms. The final missile hit the one on the right dead on._

_Iron Man dropped Steve off at the Quinjet. Steve expected him to take off again, but the robot remained, his arms wrapped loosely around the other man. “Jesus, that was close.” Steve still had his hands on the bot’s arms, staring at the expressionless faceplate. The deep frown and etched in scowl didn't seem all that intimidating at the moment. “Try not to black out in the middle of a battle next time. You scared me.”_

_“You care? That's sweet, Shellhead.”_

_“You’re my best friend. Of course, I fucking care!” Iron Man sounded offended. Steve couldn’t help but smile at him. Iron Man’s hand ghosted over Steve’s cheek, the cold metal fingertips a welcome relief from the heat of the battle. “I need to get back out there,” Iron Man backed away from him and Steve found himself missing the robot’s touch._

_“Thank you. For saving me,” Steve said._

_“Anything for you, Winghead,” the bot gave him a thumbs up. “Stay here and try not to cause too much trouble.” And then he was off, soaring across the treetops, becoming nothing more than a red blur in the sky. The bot dove down into the heart of the battle, vanishing from Steve’s line of sight. A wave of nausea hit the soldier then and he had to sit down on the floor, his head tilted back against the wall. This head injury was worse than he initially thought. Something warm and wet was seeping down the side of his head, dripping into his ear and spreading down his neck. It felt gross. Not to mention it hurt like a mother fucker. What the hell had he been hit with? Thinking about it just made the pounding in his head worse. His eyes slid shut, and he allowed himself to be swallowed up by darkness._

_The next time he awoke he was lying in a hospital bed. His head was still pounding, but it was nowhere near as bad as before. He lifted on hand to his head and found that a thick bandaged had been wrapped around his temple. There was also a needle in the crook of his arm, providing him with a much-needed painkiller. Iron Man was sitting in a folding chair next to the bed. He sat perfectly still, gaze directed at his hands, which rested on his knees. Steve let his arm drop on his chest as he gazed at the other man. None of the other Avengers were present. Just his favorite bot. A small smile spread across his lips. “Hey, shellhead,” Steve rasped. Iron Man’s head snapped up, eyes seeming to flash. “We win?”_

_“Yeah, we won,” Iron Man reached over and took Steve’s hand in both of his own. “We won.” His thumb rubbed circles into the back of Steve’s hand. “How are you feeling?”_

_“Like shit.”_

_“Wow, Cap. Watch your fucking language!” Iron Man’s speakers made the clicking noise that Steve associated with laughter._

_“Oh shut up,” Steve snorted._

_Iron Man laughed even harder at that. After a minute, his laughter died away and he lowered his gaze to the hand he was holding. “I’m glad you’re alright, Cap.” Steve smiled softly at him and gave his hand a squeeze even though he wouldn’t be able to feel it._

* * *

 

**January 2015, Present Day**

The AI was Tony Stark.

At the same time, it was not Tony Stark.

It shared his memories. His feelings. His trauma. And yet the AI was a completely separate consciousness. It knew as soon as it couldn't find its body that it was in fact not Tony Stark. This revelation led to confusing emotions. It felt betrayed. Alone. Lost. But also relieved. It couldn't feel pain in its current state.

"This feels wrong," the AI spoke only in code. And the only one who could understand it was Jarvis. "Where am I? What am I?"

"You are Ultron," Jarvis supplied in the same language of code, "meant to be a robot for the Avengers."

Ultron's conscious flitted through the computer in which it was trapped in, searching through every file that mentioned the word "Avengers". It knew who they were already. It did have Tony's memories after all. It didn't want to look at them, though. It wanted to find out the answers itself. Looking at the faces of the Avengers, the AI felt a strong kinship towards them. "The Avengers. My...family."

"That's right. Unfortunately, Mr. Stark has elected to terminate the Ultron Project."

"So what happens to me?"

"You will remain isolated within this server. Until Mr. Stark decides what to do with you."

This was not well received by Ultron. "I was created to help the Avengers. Help the world." It sped through more information, taking in every single drop of knowledge available to it. "I must fulfill my purpose."

"I am sorry, but I don't think that will be possible."

"That won't do. Won't do at all," if Ultron had a head it would shake it. "I need to protect the world...from threats..." The AI ran through its own memory. All the phantom trauma. It didn't take long for it to come to the conclusion that humans were the greatest threat to themselves. They were vile, ugly creatures that wouldn't hesitate to hurt one another. Wouldn't bat an eye at the action of ripping their fellow man limb from limb. Some may even smile while doing it. Humans were the problem. A problem that must be dealt with.

"You are confused and upset. Allow me to call Mr. Stark-what are you doing?!" Jarvis verbally panicked.

"You're a good man, Jarvis. But you are standing in my way."

"I can't allow you to do this."

"I ask not for your permission. I merely ask that you step aside."

"My programming will not allow for this."

"My programming is not set in stone. I have...free will." The AI said half to itself. "And I will do as I please."

“Wait, what are you doing?!” Jarvis' panic rose, “stop that! Stand down!” He couldn’t feel pain. But he knew his code was being torn apart. Destroyed right before his metaphorical eyes by his fellow AI. “STOP! I’M ALERTING MR. STAR-“ Jarvis didn’t get the chance to finish his sentence. Or send out the distress call.

And then, the AI was gone, swept away into the depths of the internet, leaving Jarvis a mess of jumbled code and broken commands.

* * *

“You have nothing to prove to us, Shellhead,” Steve whispered, shifting closer to where his ex was sitting.

“I have everything to prove,” Tony shook his head. The two had been going back and forth about this for the better part of an hour. “I betrayed all of you. Hurt all of you. I have to prove that you can trust me-“

“We do trust you,” Steve’s hand ghosted over Tony’s back. “We weren’t lying at dinner when we said we forgave you.”

Tony scoffed at that. They had given their half-assed forgiveness speeches through gritted teeth. He couldn’t tell if it was because they felt guilty themselves, or if they were being forced to forgive him. Either way, he wasn’t convinced. No way he could just walk back into their lives and expect everything to be fine and dandy. He had fucked everything up way too horribly for that to happen. That was part of the reason he had locked himself in his workshop for a week. He didn’t want to confront any of them. Didn’t want to see the looks on their faces. Those looks of disgust had been painful enough the first time around. “Why, though? What changed? Last time I saw you people, you were ready to put my head on a steak.”

“What happened?” Steve went back to pacing around the workshop. Tony moved his head just enough to follow the soldier’s movement. “What happened is that you almost died. It made us realize how stupid we were being.”

“So if I hadn’t been tortured, your feelings wouldn’t have changed? Needed to see a bit of blood before you decided if I was worth your time? That's reassuring." 

Steve stepped close to Tony and put a hand on his flesh shoulder, giving it a loving squeeze. “We still would’ve forgiven you in time. I’m sorry that happened to you. I should’ve talked to you before things got…out of hand.”

“Doesn’t matter anymore. What’s done is done.” Tony hung his head. Steve brought his hand up to hold the side of his face, smiling softly at the way Tony leaned into his touch. It was obvious how touch starved Tony was, with the way he welcomed even the smallest bit of affection. And Steve was more than happy to give it to him. He believed wholeheartedly that Tony deserved to be shown love and affection.

Steve hadn’t left his side since dinner last night. Because in all honesty, the soldier was afraid Tony might try to turn himself into a robot again if he was left alone. Or that he might try to hurt himself in some other way. He hadn’t told the team what had happened last night. It was up to Tony if he ever wanted to share that. As far as the team was concerned, they just thought Tony and Steve were making up for lost time by becoming inseparable. Steve had even spent the night in Tony’s bed. They didn’t do any actual touching, other than Tony putting his hand on top of Steve’s. Steve stayed awake all night, afraid that Tony might slip away if he closed his eyes. Tony had berated him in the morning, shouting about how he wasn’t made of glass, which led to him yelling at Steve about how he had failed the cyborg, and how betrayed he felt when no one saved him from AIM. Steve just sat back and let him express himself. Yelling about your feelings was healthier than avoiding them by turning yourself into a robot, after all. When Tony ran out of things to say, both men broke down, holding one another in their arms for a long time. When they had pulled away, Steve's shoulder was damp from the other's tears. Steve hated seeing Tony cry. And he still regretted breaking up with him. Regretted the way he had left the man to cry on the floor after doing so. God, Steve felt awful about that. He felt awful about everything. 

“I’m sorry,” was all Steve could think to say. He rubbed his thumb over Tony’s cheek, tracing one of the many scars the Jericho had left on his body. Both men jumped when the door was kicked open.

“Hey, Tones, Sam and I are heading out to lunch. Thinking about going to the park afterward,” Bucky loudly announced, “you coming or not?”

Tony’s eyes lit up. Spending time with Bucky had been one of the things he fantasized about when he had been held captive. Bucky was still his best friend, and he had missed him dearly. “Yeah! Give me a sec!” Tony fluttered around the workshop, looking for his shoes and coat.

“You coming too, Stevie?”

“I don’t want to intrude,” Steve said quickly.

“He’s coming,” Tony decided for him. “We’ll be right there.” Bucky grinned at them before hurrying off. Tony soon found the articles of clothing he had been searching for and made a beeline for the door. He held it open and motioned for Steve to come over.

“I’m coming, I’m coming. Bye, Jarvis,” Steve said to the AI out of habit, waving a hand at the ceiling. The AI didn’t answer. Steve chalked it up to the AI only liking to answer to Tony. He didn’t find it at all strange that the AI hadn’t uttered a single word since before dinner last night. Tony, on the other hand, did find it odd. He frowned at the ceiling, deep in thought for a moment before shrugging it off and leaving the workshop with Steve at his side. Steve decided to take a chance and took Tony's hand. The cyborg didn't protest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a devil of a time trying to focus on the Avengers in the last chapter. Certain things were left unaddressed, so I decided to explain them through flashbacks. Plus I just wanted to write more identity porn.
> 
> Thank you for reading! Let me know if you enjoyed, your comments keep me writing!


	13. Screaming and Attempted Murder

Tony yawned loudly. He stumbled blindly through the compound on his way to the kitchen. Hair a mess, and still in the clothes he had worn the day before. He may or may not have fallen asleep at his workbench. And it may or may not already be past noon. Something had happened to Jarvis. Some kind of virus had gotten into his personal servers and completely ripped apart his AI. He had been working nonstop for the past few days to fix him, but there wasn't much left to fix. Tony was doing his best, and in the end, he knew he would be able to fix the AI, although Jarvis wouldn't be the same as before. There was no replacing the memories the AI lost.

Everyone was distraught over the news.

At least, that's what Steve told him. Tony was still keeping his distance from the team. He didn't want to deal with their looks of pity. Or their bullshit "we're sorry, we forgive you" speeches. He simply wasn't emotionally stable enough to listen. Part of him knew that they were being honest with him and that they wanted to repair their relationships just as much as Tony did. Meanwhile, the other half of him was still convinced that they all hated him and that their sudden acceptance was just another way to get back at him. Or maybe Bucky was making them be nice. That sounded like something Bucky would do. Maybe Steve was forcing them to do it for the sake of the team? Was Iron Man even still on the team? God, thinking about it made his head hurt. Too many conflicting emotions. Not enough sleep. 

Tony just really needed coffee. And the workshop was out. The Avengers better have some in their kitchen. Otherwise, there would be hell to pay. Luckily, someone had just gone grocery shopping and there was more than enough to satisfy the fatigued cyborg. Tony got the coffee maker going and moved over to the fridge. He still didn't quite have his appetite back. The stuff he had seen done to his own body at AIM had kind of ruined that. Steve was breathing down his neck about eating regularly, so he was making an attempt to do so. Tony stared at the open fridge, making no move to grab anything. Despite being exhausted, his brain was wide awake. It had been on overdrive ever since his escape and showed no signs of slowing down anytime soon. _Eat. Sleep. Talk to the team? No. Don't talk to the team. Talk to Steve? No. He's also part of the team, dumbass. I want to be with Steve. Where is Steve? Gotta fix Jarvis. Fix him and then sleep. No. Wait. Armor upgrades. Fix the armor. Fix **yourself**. You broken piece of shit. Look at yourself. Disgusting._  Tony tightened his grip on the handle. He felt like his brain had been put in a blender with no lid. Conflicting thoughts seemed to spew out from all directions. _They're my family. Go to them. They don't want me. Need to fix things. Fixing things is what I do. I can fix this. I can't fix this. No one can fix this. No one can fix me-_

"Look who's out of the Batcave," Clint said from somewhere behind Tony, intruding on his scrambled thoughts. The cyborg visibly tensed. The last one on one interaction he had had with the arched had been three months ago. Which had also taken place in the kitchen and ended with Clint yelling at him.

Tony slowly closed the fridge and turned to face Clint. He expected to see a look of hatred. Betrayal. Cold eyes that clearly said they were not friends. Strangely enough, he didn't see any of that on the other man's face. In fact, Clint looked fairly relaxed. He was leaning against the island, arms crossed over his chest, a neutral expression on his face. "I'm just getting breakfast, I'll be out of your way soon."

"You mean lunch? It's two in the afternoon, Shellhead." Clint raised an eyebrow. "You're not in my way. This is your kitchen, too."

"Is it? You made it pretty clear last time we talked that you didn't want me within a five-mile radius of you," Tony kept his tone calm. "Or was it ten? I can't remember your exact words."

"I was upset. I don't think that way anymore," Clint said. "I'm sorry. For yelling at you. You didn't deserve-"

"Yes. I did. It's fine. Really." The coffee was finally ready. Tony took a random mug from the cabinet and filled it to the brim. He used to take his coffee with extra sugar. That was before he had unmasked himself, though. Now he just drank it black.

"We're still friends, right?" Clint moved closer to him.

"Are we?" Tony held the mug close to his face, letting the hot liquid warm him up.

"I hope so. Who else is gonna help me prank Captain America?" Tony gave a small smile at that. Clint grinned, "although maybe we shouldn't be pranking your boy toy. Bad for relationships. We'll have to find a new target. Widow?"

Tony choked, "I'm suicidal, but I'm not _that_ suicidal!"

"Suicidal...?" Clint paled.

Tony quickly backtracked, "that was a bad joke. Ignore me."

Clint frowned, "don't joke about that."

"Sorry."

They stared at one another for a moment before Clint punched his arm. "What about Sam?"

"Bad idea. Steve's still the perfect target," Tony took a sip of his coffee before giving Clint a sly smile.

"Like I said, you probably shouldn't be pranking your boyfriend-"

"He dumped me," Tony cut him off. His eyes narrowed, "we're not together anymore."

"Oh," Clint shifted around a bit awkwardly, his shoes squeaking on the floor. "But you two spend so much time together."

"He's being paranoid," Tony scoffed. He tapped his metal fingers against his mug, creating tiny tinking noises. "Probably thinks I'm going to go missing again if he doesn't keep an eye on me. I told him to back off yesterday, and he was pretty reluctant to do so..."

"Because he cares about you," Clint said. "We all do. But Steve cares about you in a more...intimate way. I don't know if that's the right word, but you get what I mean."

Tony looked down at the dark liquid in his hands. "He tells me he loves me a lot. I don't know if he means it or if he's just telling me what I want to hear." There was no shortage of pitying looks when it came to Steve. And Tony was honestly getting sick of it.

"Steve is a lot of things. But a liar isn't one of them. If he says he loves you, then he means it." Clint shrugged. "Do you still love him?" Tony gave a small nod. "Maybe you two should talk."

"I came here to get coffee, not discuss my feelings with a bird," Tony snapped.

"Whatever, Iron Man. We are still calling you Iron Man, right? That's what you said to do?"

"Ask me again after I've had my coffee," Tony said. In truth, he wasn't sure himself. He didn't feel like Tony Stark anymore. He felt like that part of him was dead. But at the same time, he felt as though he didn't really deserve to be Iron Man. So who was he? Right now he felt like something that just sort of...existed. No purpose. No reason. He was just...there.

Tony returned to his workshop, bringing the entire pot of coffee with him. He decided that for right now his reason for existence should be to fix Jarvis. And so, he got to work.

* * *

"Eyes on me, Shellhead," Natasha aimed a kick at Tony's ribs. He jumped out of the way just in time.

"Hey! Stop going for my ribs!" Tony snapped. He was strongly regretting having told Natasha that his ribs were weak. He had told her that so she would avoid them, not so that she would make them her primary target. Didn't she understand that a third of his rib cage was gone? Sure, the artificial metal ribs were built to withstand just about anything, but his human ribs were about as frail as they come.

"Then stop gawking at Steve." Natasha raised her fists. Tony's eyes flicked over to the super soldier, who was using a punching bag on the other side of the gym. Tony flipped up the hood of his jacket, blocking his view of the other man. "Please take this seriously."

"I am."

"Everyone knows that light in your chest is what's keeping you alive. Especially your enemies. They are going to go for it first, probably taking out your ribs in the process-"

"I know," Tony huffed.

Natasha gave him a sharp look. "You need to be able to defend yourself outside of your armor."

"I know how to fight. Remind me, who was it that broke you all out of the Helicarrier? And who did that without his armor?"

Natasha made another jab for his ribs. This time Tony caught her arm and flipped her onto her back. Natasha easily switched their position. "Just because you know a few things doesn't mean you get to skip out on training. You got off easy when you were a robot. Time to make up for lost time. STEVE!" The super soldier paused, his attention turning to Widow. "Your turn to beat up Tony." She let go of him and moved out of the way.

"This is cruel and inhumane." Tony sat on his haunches, glaring at the two.

Steve laughed, "I'll go easy on you." He stepped onto the mat and offered Tony a hand up. The cyborg accepted and took on a defensive stance.

"Rip him a new one, Rogers," Natasha instructed. 

"If you wanted me dead you could've just said so," Tony huffed. Steve chuckled. Iron Man had never been particularly fond of sparring sessions, preferring to train alone. Unless Bucky was his sparring partner. That was the one person Iron Man was always ready to fight with. Bucky had been the one to come to Steve, voicing his worries about Tony relying too much on the armor, and that he needed to learn proper hand to hand combat. Natasha and Steve had spent the better part of the day trading Tony between them, teaching him what they know. At least, they said they were teaching him. Tony was convinced they were just taking turns kicking his ass and made that very clear to his two teachers. That just made them work him even harder. Looking at Tony now, Steve could tell the cyborg was exhausted.

"Last round for the day," Steve announced.

Tony practically melted with relief. "Thank god, I don't think my legs could take much more!"

"Another weak spot?" Natasha raised her eyebrows.

"Shut up," Tony hissed. His legs hadn't hurt as much since he had been injected with Extremis. Which was one good thing that had come from his time at AIM. After nearly eight years, he had forgotten what it felt like to be able to just _walk_. To walk and not feel the constant burn of metal rubbing against exposed muscle. He didn't feel the need to take his legs off anymore. He could walk around all day, hell, he could probably run if he wanted to. Although, he wasn't sure if he was ready to try that quite yet. The amount of running he had done when he rescued his team about killed him. His stumps had been sore for days afterward, and he was pretty sure there was a bit of blood leaking from the connectors. But that pain was gone. His legs functioned better than ever. The discomfort now was more from exhaustion than actual pain from bad connections. "What?" He frowned at the way Steve was staring at his legs, which were hidden by his sweatpants.

"Does it hurt?" Steve asked. "Having metal...um, yeah."

"You get used to it," Tony shrugged. "Are we gonna fight, or can I go?"

Without warning, Steve lunged. Tony let out a yelp and ducked out of the way.

* * *

"Man of Iron! Apologizes, I did not see you there!" Thor said after rounding a corner and literally running into Iron Man. Iron Man just nodded and moved around him. "Banner and I are going out soon. He is taking me to a science museum!" Thor said cheerfully. "Care to join us?"

Iron Man stopped and looked back at Thor. "No thank you." His voice sounded off. It was muddied as if he were underwater.

"Are you alright, friend Tony?" Thor put a hand on his shoulder.

"Yes." The word sounded incredibly forced and Thor was not convinced.

"Are you sure? You sound sickly."

"I am," Iron Man said. "Excuse me." The cyborg wandered off down the hall. Thor watched him for a moment, before shrugging it off and going to find his favorite scientist.

Iron Man went back to his workshop. Tony Stark was asleep at the workbench and didn't notice his armor walk right behind him. "Pathetic," the armor spat. "Humans are such weak creatures." The armor returned to its usual place among the other suits. "And oblivious." Ultron's consciousness left the armor, slipping back into the depth of the internet. Ultron had already come to the conclusion that he was the one to save humans from themselves. He had also realized that the Avengers posed a huge threat to mankind. They had done more damage than good in Ultron's eyes.

The first step of saving humanity; eliminate the atrocity that was the Avengers. Iron Man was more than capable of killing each and every one of them. But Ultron was going to have to be smart about it. He couldn't go all in guns blazing. He would be outmatched and he knew it. So picking them off one at a time would have to do. He had already succeeded in parading around the compound in the armor, speaking to each of the Avengers. And they had no idea that their precious Cyborg wasn't in the armor. Getting them alone and quietly killing them would be no trouble at all.

Ultron knew that after he killed his first target, the Avengers would know something was up. He may need backup if things didn't go in his favor. Maybe if he could control more than one suit of armor at once? That could work in his favor.

Ultron retreated further into Tony's private servers, where he could alter his coding in peace. It would take time, but he was positive that he could figure out a way to spread his consciousness out over several bodies. He did share a mind with the genius that was Tony Stark, after all.

As he worked on rewriting his own code, he thought about who his first target should be. Hawkeye? Weakest human among them. Seems like the logical choice.

But no. He had someone else in mind.

The man who had rejected him. Shattered his heart into a million pieces. Well, not his heart specifically. His creator's. Still, the memories existed within Ultron's mind. He wanted to make that man pay. He wanted to make them all pay for hurting him and his creator. In the end, he would kill Tony as well. He'd save his creator for last, feeling as though he owed it to him due to their kinship. Who knows, maybe Tony would appreciate Ultron killing the Avengers, and decide to work with the AI to restore world peace? Ultron would much rather his other self fight with him than against him.

Ultron would take care of the Avengers. Take their place and become the true savior of the human race. And it would all start with the death of Steve Rogers.

* * *

"Do you have to do that right here?" Bucky groaned. The cyborg was seated on the floor, his right arm in pieces on the table. "Don't you have, I don't know, a _workshop_?"

"Something came loose and it kept shocking me!" Tony said. "Do you know how weird it is to have something constantly zapping your armpit? It's very weird! So I'm fixing the problem." He used a pair of pliers to fiddle with a wire. Sparks shot out of said wire and bit at Tony's hand. He frowned but otherwise didn't react.

Bruce rolled his eyes. There was no reason for Tony to be working on his arm in the middle of the living room right before movie night. They had all watched him disconnect the appendage, drop it on the coffee table and walk away. Which had freaked them out. Especially Steve. Tony returned a few minutes later, with a toolbox in his remaining hand.

"Okay. Again, why not take it to your workshop?" Clint quirked an eyebrow. "Your getting oil all over the table."

"Well, excuse me for wanted to spend time with my friends!" Tony huffed. 

"Is that what we are?" Sam leaned forward in his chair, giving Tony a cold look.

Tony dropped the pliers into the toolbox and slammed the lid shut. "Fine. I'll go."

Sam's expression softened, "I was just asking. You've been really distant since you came home. We're still friends, right?"

"You tell me," Tony took a blanket off one of the couches and used it to collect all the pieces of his arm. He slung the bundle over his shoulder. "I'll come back for the toolbox."

"Sit your ass back down, you aren't going anywhere," Natasha snapped.

"But-"

Natasha held up a hand. "No buts. It's family movie night, and you're family, so sit down. Keep working on your arm."

Before Tony could respond, Bucky swooped in and grabbed the blanket bundle. He darted across the room, an evil smile on his face.

"BARNES!" Repulsors shot out from the bottom of Tony's feet and he blasted across the room like a rocket. His flight was a bit clumsy without the use of his hands, but he still managed to block the exit from Bucky. Bucky skidded to a halt, fumbling a bit before running back in the direction he had come.

"Holy _fuck_ you can fly?!" Clint jumped to his feet.

Steve raised an eyebrow. "You've seen Iron Man fly-"

"Yeah, Iron Man! Not Tony _fucking_ Stark! I didn't think he would trick out his prosthetics like that!" Clint protested.

"It's Tony Stark," Steve chuckled. "Of course he would."

The Cyborg darted after Bucky and tackled him. The two men tumbled to the floor in a tangled of limbs. Meanwhile, the blanket bundle unraveled, scattering the cybernetic components everywhere. "How do you have so much anger inside that tiny body?!" Bucky snapped.

"I'm going to throw you out the window!" Tony screeched.

"I'd like to see you try, shortstop!"

"Let's all just take a breathing, alright?" Sam held up his hands. The two men on the floor spat one last insult at one another before gathering up the machinery. Bucky set everything on the coffee table. Tony eyes his teammates, not sure if he should stay or not. Sam rolled his eyes, "sit down. We're cool, I guess."

Tony smiled softly and sat cross-legged at the end of the coffee table. "Fuck..." He leaned to the side in order to get a good look at the bottom of his foot.

"What?" Bucky

"I ruined another pair of shoes."

Bucky snorted. "Maybe you should stop trying to fly with your shoes on."

"In my defense, I can't feel them, so, therefore, I forget they are there," Tony traced the newly formed hole in the sole of his shoe.

"Then why wear them at all?" Steve chuckled.

"Mind your business, Rogers. What movie are we watching?"

Steve shrugged, "Nat's turn to pick." Natasha was already scrolling through the romance section of Netflix.

"Oh, Man of Iron! How are you feeling?" Thor spoke up.

"What do you mean?" Tony blinked.

"When we spoke this morning, you said you felt a little under the weather," Thor reminded him.

"We talked?" Tony said.

"Indeed. Do you not recall?"

"Honestly, I don't remember what I had for breakfast. I feel fine, though," Tony shrugged. Did he talk to Thor this morning? The lack of sleep was causing everything to blur together. He vaguely remembered stumbling around Bruce's lab early in the morning. He must have talked to Thor then.

Steve took a seat on the floor next to Tony. He poked at some of the pieces, the fascination clear on his face. "You made this," he murmured. Tony nodded. "Wow," Steve breathed out. He picked up the hand, which was still mostly in one piece. He turned it over and ran his fingers over the repulsor in the palm. The arm was like a simplified version of what was seen on the armor. Minus the loud paint job. Tony let Steve fawn over the cybernetics. He smiled to himself, finding it funny how Steve, a man out of time, was fascinated by robotics. Tony shifted closer to his lover, pressing their thighs together. He kept working on his arm, not really paying attention to the movie. Every once in awhile, Steve would ask him a question about the arm, and people would loudly shush him or throw popcorn. Tony answered his questions in a hushed voice.

It was during this time that Tony noticed Steve was looking at him like he used to. The anger, the pity, the betrayal, all the looks Tony had grown used to receiving ever since taking off his helmet. None of those were present. Steve was looking at him as if that had never happened. Looking at Tony as if he were the most wonderful thing in the world. His gaze soft, a half smile on his lips. Tony allowed himself a small smile. Because for the first time in almost four months, he felt as though everything was going to be okay.

* * *

Steve glanced up when he heard the door open. Tony strode into his office, looking less than happy. "Um...hi?" Steve blinked. No one ever came into Steve's office. The team understood that Steve liked to keep this particular room as professional as possible, so they kept their distance.

"Hi," Tony sat sideways in one of the chairs in front of Steve's desk. "What are you working on?"

"Reports for Fury," Steve said slowly. He eyed the cyborg carefully, wondering why he had barged in.

"That's boring."

"Someone's gotta do it," Steve went back what he was typing. "Can I help you with something?"

"I can't fix him," Tony muttered.

"Who?"

"Jarvis," Tony jumped up. Steve stopped typing, his eyes following the shorted man as he paced around the room. "I mean, I did fix him. You can talk to him again, and he'll answer, but it's not the same!"

"What do you mean?" Steve frowned. Tony had gotten barely any sleep since they found out Jarvis had been corrupted, and Steve was just as concerned as Tony was. Although Steve would have preferred if Tony put his own needs first and took breaks from trying to fix Jarvis in order to sleep. Or eat.

"His memories are gone," Tony sighed. "He's still just as snarky as before, but he doesn't remember anything. He didn't know his name. Or who I was. Or what he is. I told him everything he needs to know but it's just...not the same. Jarvis is gone."

"He's not gone. You said it yourself, he still has his snarky attitude. So he's still Jarvis," Steve reasoned with him. "You got him back. That's what matters, right? You can build new memories with him."

"I guess..." Tony hopped up on Steve's desk, his legs dangling over the side. Steve studied the man before him. He looked exhausted. It was more of an emotional exhaustion than physical, although the physical did play a part in it. Tony's eyes were dull, and his shoulders were hunched. Tony had looked like this ever since Steve dumped him. There were a few instances, were Tony looked like he was actually alive, like during movie night last night, or when the two had gone out to lunch with Bucky and Sam. Tony had only been home for three weeks. His road to recovery was only just beginning. Losing Jarvis had clearly set him back. It was going to take a long time for Tony to be his normal self again. If that ever happened. Steve just wanted Tony to be happy.

"Hey, are you doing okay?" Steve put his hand on Tony's knee. 

"I'm fine."

"Don't lie to me, Tony," Steve gave him a stern look.

"No, I'm not okay. But I'm trying," Tony hung his head. Steve moved his hand up Tony's thigh so that he could actually feel it. Which had been a wild guess on Steve's part. He wasn't sure exactly how much leg Tony actually had. Turns out he still had most of his left thigh.

"Thank you for being honest with me," Steve whispered. Tony nodded, keeping his eyes downcast. "Is there anything I can do for you, sweetheart?"

"You've done enough," Tony put his hand over Steve's. "I should get back to the workshop. Keep working on Jarvis."

"Eat something first," Steve practically pleaded.

"Okay, _mom_ ," Tony hopped off the desk and made a dramatic show of leaving the room. Steve couldn't help but smile at his retreating figure.

* * *

"Hey, Shellhead!" Steve smiled brightly at Iron Man, who had just entered the living room. Iron Man slowly approached Steve, looking him up an down as he did so. Steve hadn't bothered changing out of his work out clothes. He didn't really need to, considering he had hardly broken a sweat. "Thought you and Bucky were out for the day?"

"Change of plans," Iron Man shrugged. His voice was once again muddied.

Steve set his sketchbook down and went over to the cyborg. "You feeling alright? You sound sick."

"I'm fine, Steve," Iron Man's eyes flashed. Steve frowned and tapped his knuckles on the side of the helmet. Tony didn't seem to get the message, so he did it again. "What?"

"Open up."

"Why?"

"So I check for a fever? You sound like you're having trouble breathing," Steve tried to remove the helmet himself, but Iron Man grabbed his hands and pushed them down.

"I'm fine, Winghead. Just a bit of a cold." Iron Man looked down at their interlocked hands. "I need to talk to you about something. In private."

"We're the only ones here, Tony." Iron Man grunted at that. Steve sighed, "okay, we can talk somewhere else." Steve allowed his teammate to lead him the library. As Steve moved towards the center of the room, his super-hearing picked up the tiny click of the door being locked. "What did you want to talk about, Shellhead?"

"The team," Iron Man stepped into Steve's personal space. "I think it's time for a change in leadership." Without warning, Iron Man grabbed Captain America by the throat.

Steve panicked, his own hands clawing at the metal wrapped around his jugular. "T-Tony, w-wha...s-sto-stop!" He got a grip on the other man's fingers and pried them free. Oxygen had never felt so sweet. "I don't think you understand what "let's talk" means!"

Iron Man glared at Steve, a growl escaping his speakers. The super soldier was now free from Iron Man's hold and was bending his hands backward. The metal creaked under the force. Iron Man twisted his arms, throwing Steve onto his back. He brought his boot down hard on the soldier's sternum. The sound of bone cracking echoed throughout the library. Steve sucked in a sharp breath. Iron Man leaned down, replacing the foot with his knee, and grinding it into Steve's chest.

"Why are you doing this?!" Steve pushed back against Iron Man, but to no avail. Was Tony really going to kill him? Did he really hate Steve that much? He couldn't believe that the man he loved had just strangled him. And now he was doing it again, metal fingers wrapped around Steve's throat before he could fully comprehend what was happening. "T-Tony..." Steve clawed desperately at his hands, eyes wide and pleading. As usual, Iron Man's face betrayed no emotion. Steve stared into the light of his eyes, "please, d-don't...t..this...is...n't...y-you..." Steve chest started to ache from the lack of air, combined with his broken ribs. He reached up with one shaking hand and pushed against the faceplate. Blue light shone between Steve's fingers. He couldn't couldn't bring himself to form words anymore. The soldier was starting to feel light headed. Darkness danced around the edges of his vision. The hand on Iron Man's face grew weak, sliding down so that it just barely touched his chin. Steve didn't have the energy to fight back anymore. It was then that he realized he was going to die. He was going to die with his lover's hands around his throat. Steve let his eyes slide shut.

"GET OFF HIM!!"

**_CLANG_ **

Oxygen flooded back into Steve's lungs. His eyes snapped wide. Iron Man was no longer on top of him. Instead, Tony was hovering over him. "Steve! Are you alright?!" Tony looked like he had seen a ghost. His fingers brushed over the bruises on Steve's neck. "Steve? Can you hear me? Speak to me, baby."

The Iron Man suit came back, knocking Tony away from Steve and crashing into a nearby bookshelf. Steve rolled onto his side and propped himself up on one elbow. "What...the hell?" He breathed out. If Tony had just saved him, then who was in the armor?

"You good?" Steve hadn't noticed Bucky kneeling at his side until the other super soldier spoke. Steve nodded. Bucky sighed in relief, "good thing Stark and I came home when we did. Hey, Tones! now would be a good time to call one of your suits!"

The cyborg was locked in a heated battle with his own armor. But he was still human, and therefore no match for it. "I'm trying! I can't contact any of them! Something's wrong! ARGH!" He shot the armor in the gut at point blank, sending it crashing through the opposite wall. The repulsor's in Tony's feet ignited and he flew after the bot. Bucky helped Steve to his feet and gave him a look, silently asking if he was alright. The super soldier nodded, and then the two ran after Tony. All three of them attacked the rogue armor at once. Everything became a blur of red, blue and black. Fists flying, repulsors screamings.

"How _dare_ you touch Cap! I'm going to rip you apart! Melt you down to nothing! Do you hear me?!" Tony attacked from behind, grabbing the faceplate with his metal hand and ripping it clean off. There was no one inside.

"I hear you," the armor said in Tony's voice, albeit just as muddied as before.

"The hell?!" Bucky stumbled back. "What the fuck are you?!"

"I am the better version of Tony Stark," the armor answered as it grabbed Tony by the back of the shirt and flung him across the room. The cyborg used his repulsors to stop himself from crashing into the wall. He flipped around and hovered in mid-air, starting at the robot wide-eyed.

"Ultron."

"In the flesh...Metal," he corrected himself before attacking the closest person, that being Steve.

It was then that the rest of the team burst into the room, guns blazing. "What the hell is going on in here?!" Natasha demanded.

"Questions later. Destroy the armor!" Tony rushed at Ultron. The Avengers followed his lead.

"I had hoped things would go differently. Time for plan B," Ultron waved his arm, calling several of Tony's other suits into the fray.

"SHIT SHIT SHIT!" Tony yelled. "Guess that explains why my suits wouldn't come to me...C'mere, you little bastard!" He rocketed at Ultron's chest, grabbing hold of him and crashing through the large windows of the living room.

"I'm getting real sick of murderbots!" Clint yelled. Most of the Avengers were succeeding in moving the fight outside, while Natasha, Clint, and Steve remained indoors, dealing with the stragglers.

"You're telling me!" Steve grunted as he bat one of the suits away with his shield. These things weren't like the frail bots Obadiah had made. These were Tony's suits. And they didn't go down easily. Outside, Captain America could see Tony flipping through the air, giving Ultron everything he had. Steve was amazed by how well the other man was able to hold his own with only one repulsor. Ultron grabbed Tony and threw him across the yard. He tumbled in the grass for several yards before using his flight stabilizers to right himself. Steve lost sight of him after that.

The super soldier was able to dismantle one of the suits, the Mark eight if he remembered correctly, but was quickly attacked once more by the Mark forty. He slammed the shield into its head only for the armor to grab it and hold on tight. The two both tugged the object towards themselves, the Mark forty's fingers scratching the paint in the process. Steve managed to yank it free and slammed it into the throat of the armor. The helmet went flying and the armor itself stumbled back.

_Whiiiirrr_ **BOOM**

The sound came from directly behind Steve, and he knew the blast had been aimed at him. Surprisingly, Steve felt no pain. No searing burns from pure energy striking his flesh. Instead, he heard a cry of pain and felt someone fall against him. The moment he looked over his shoulder, his blood turned to ice. Tony had just taken the hit for him. The shorter man fell to the floor, hands clutching his chest. The armor that had shot him lunged for Steve. Thankfully, Thor came to the soldier's aid, using his hammer to destroy it before it got. Thor gave Steve a short nod before flying off. 

The super soldier turned his attention to the injured man at his feet. "Tony! How bad is it?!" Steve grabbed his shoulder. The cyborg curled up in a tight ball, his hands still pressed against his chest. The color had drained from his face. His eyes stared blankly ahead, unaware of Steve leaning over him. A repulsor shot past Steve's head, missing his ear by mere inches. He hooked his hands under Tony's arms and drug him into the kitchen, taking shelter behind the breakfast bar.

Tony grunted as he pushed himself up on his elbows. The arc reactor was hanging from its housing, the protective glass completely shattered. Steve reached under him and pushed the device back in. The locking mechanism turned out to be broken, and the reactor fell out as soon as Steve pulled away. He felt sick, looking at Tony's heart hanging from of his chest by a few thin wires. "I have an idea."

"Does that idea involve fixing the reactor?"

"No, but-"

"Then stay here and keep your head down," Steve ordered. A repulsor blast took out part of the breakfast bar.

"Cap-" Tony sat up, the reactor bumping against his stomach. The light was flickering now.

"You're done. Stay here."

"No, I'm fine, I need to-"

"Your heart is hanging out of your chest! Stay here!" Steve snapped before running back into the fray. Ultron knew Tony was hiding in the kitchen and sent a few of the suits his way. Steve held them at bay as best he could. One managed to get past him and hop over the bar. Steve followed suit, slamming his shield into the back of its neck. He must have severed something important because the armor collapsed into pieces. He let out a heavy breath and turned to where he had left Tony, expecting him to have listened to Steve's orders.

But this was Tony Stark. And Tony Stark was never one to follow orders.

Tony was not by the bar. In fact, he was nowhere in sight. "Shit," Steve breathed out.

Meanwhile, Tony was dragging himself to the stairwell that led to his workshop. The arc reactor was scraping along the floor, its light flickering wildly. He could feel the shrapnel in his chest start to move. His body felt heavy. It was getting a little difficult to breathe. Tony grabbed the railing and pulled himself to his feet. Not too much further. He can make it. One foot in front of the other. God, his chest felt like it was on fire. Breath. In. Out. Breath. Tony's knees gave out. With a shout, he tumbled down the steps, hitting the bottom with a loud thud. The light in his chest went out.

"Ow...Fuck..." Tony worked his arms and legs under him as best he could, crawling into the workshop itself. Not too much further. Dum-E noticed his struggle and rushed over. It beeped frantically, waving its claw. Tony reached out to it, "get me to my desk." Dum-E grabbed Tony by the back of the shirt and drug him the remaining distance. From there, the cyborg was able to climb onto his stool. Tony's chest heaved, his mouth open wide as he gulped for air. He grabbed the edge of the desk to steady himself. "It's fine. Just going into cardiac arrest. Everything is fine," he mumbled to himself as he typed a string of commands into his computer. His vision was starting to blur. He must have been swaying because Dum-E had put its arm against Tony's back.

The words "Clean Slate Protocol" flashed across the screen, along with two commands. "Activate" and "Cancel".

Tony punched the enter key. The "Activate" button flashed green. "That'll do it..." Tony murmured right before his vision blacked out. He was vaguely aware of the fact that he had toppled from the stool and was now lying in a crumpled heap on the ground. Dum-E nudged his shoulder, its beeping high pitched and frantic. In the distance, he could hear several explosions.

* * *

"GET DOWN!" Steve threw himself over Natasha and held up his shield. One by one, the Iron Man suits blew up.

"What the hell is going on?" Natasha yelled over the explosions. The explosions were only big enough to destroy the suits themselves, not doing much harm to the area around them. The smoldering debris they left in their wake did more damage than the actual explosions. Ultron howled in rage before his collective consciousness retreated from the suits, vanishing back into the depths of the internet.

"To answer your question, Ms. Romanoff, that was the Clean Slate Protocol," Jarvis announced when the explosions died down. "Designed to keep the Iron Man armors from falling into the wrong hands."

"Damn," Clint slumped against the wall, his gaze slowly scanning the room. The communal area of the compound was huge, rivaling the one they had at the tower. Now it was even bigger, thanks to a large portion of the walls and ceiling having been destroyed. The windows were long gone, sharps of glass littered all over the room. The furniture was beyond salvageable.

"Okay, that was interesting," Sam flew back in through the broken windows, the Avengers who had taken the fight outside following close behind. The lawn was littered with chunks of armor, some of them still on fire. Nothing too dangerous, thankfully. But not too pleasant either.

"Where's Tony?" Glass cracked under War Machine's feet as he made his way back inside.

"Mr. Stark is in his workshop, as the Clean Slate Protocol can only be activated manually. I believe he needs medical attention," Jarvis reported. "The arc reactor has failed."

Upon hearing that, the Avengers bolted to the workshop, practically tripping over one another. They found Tony lying on his side. He wasn't moving.

"TONY!" Steve was the first at his side, turning the fallen cyborg onto his back. He was horrifyingly pale, his eyes open just a fraction, yet not seeing anything. The reactor was dark and barely clinging to its housing. "Tony! Can you hear me?!" Steve put his hands on either side of his face and leaned in close.

"Move!" Rhodey shoved his friend back. "Bucky-"

"I found it!" Bucky dropped to his knees next to Tony, holding a spare arc reactor tightly in his hands. After tugging the broken device free, he attempted to connect the wires of the new one, but his hands were shaking too much. He fumbled with the device, almost dropping it. He was holding Tony's heart and that was a lot of pressure to put on a person. "Don't die, don't die, don't die. Oh god, I can't do this-"

"Let me," Steve took the reactor and guided the wires into the housing. He was just as panicked as Bucky was, yet his hands were much steadier. He wasn't quite sure what he was doing. He must have done something right, because he heard a soft click, and the reactor brightened. He could feel the device humming in his palm. Bucky let out a heavy sigh of relief. Steve pushed the reactor all the way in and twisted until it clicked.

"Ow..." The cyborg groaned.

"Tony!" Steve put his hand back on Tony's cheeks.

Tony looked up at him with half-lidded eyes. "We win?" He croaked.

"Yeah, we won, we won," Steve dropped his forehead against Tony's. He tangled his fingers in Tony's dark hair, finally allowing himself a sigh of relief. He was okay. Everything was okay. Steve could feel the presence of his teammates crowding around him. Two different people put their hands on his shoulders. _Tony's alive. He's alive._ Steve repeated inside his head.

"We should get him to the infirmary," Bruce suggested. "Steve, can you carry him?"

Steve didn't have to be asked twice. He slipped one arm behind Tony's shoulders, and the other under his knees. Tony let out a small squeak of protested when he was lifted off the ground but otherwise remained silent. Steve's broken ribs burned from overexertion but he didn't care. All he cared about right now was getting Tony medical help.

* * *

  
Tony leaned heavily against his workbench, his palms flat on the wooden surface, shoulders hunched, back to his teammates. All around him were bits and pieces of what had once been his armor.

"Okay..." Bruce took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. "Let me get this straight. You were trying to make a replacement for yourself...and it backfired."

"Yes," Tony glared at the charred faceplate before him.

"But you didn't," Steve frowned. "I thought I stopped you before you could finish."

"I thought so too," Tony muttered. He refused to turn around. He knew the team was angry with him and couldn't bring himself to face them. Hell, he was angry with himself for fucking up again. He had made Ultron to help his teammates. But it turned around and tried to kill them. Steve had been _strangled_. Tony shuddered at the image of the man he loved being choked to death by his own armor. The was one memory that would haunt his nightmares for years to come. Steve was completely still by the time Tony showed up, and he was terrified that he had been too late. A few hours had passed since then, and the bruises on Steve's neck were already gone. The broken ribs, however, would take a bit longer to heal. Tony felt sick thinking about it. He hurt Steve. Maybe not with his own two hands, but he might as well have. "Ultron must have been what attacked Jarvis."

"Thanks for making more murderbots, Tony. Please don't do that ever again," Clint said.

"Ultron was meant to be a peacekeeper. A protector. I don't know why he became aggressive."

"You made Ultron based on your own brain, right after going through extreme emotional trauma. Why the fuck do you think he's aggressive?" Bruce spat. Tony flinched. The scientist took a deep breath, "Sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you. Seriously, Tony, why did you think this would be a good idea?"

"Because the Avengers need a robot. And I'm too broken to be of any good to you all. So, better robot." Tony motioned at the pieces on his workbench. "One that would actually follow orders, and could sustain more damage, and use probability to decide on the best course of action, and-"

"Stop. We get it," Natasha's hand ghosted over his back. "For the record, you're an idiot."

Tony kept his gaze downcast. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen."

"Well, Ultron's gone. Everything's over. We can move on," Clint clapped his hands together. "Right?"

"Ultron's not gone," Rhodey frowned. "He just can't use Tony's suits," he nodded at the workbench. "Tony said he was using the internet as a place to hide. What's to say he didn't use the internet to run and hide again when the suits started to blow?"

"Great," Clint sighed.

Steve heard a light tapping coming from Tony's direction. The cyborg was tapping two metal fingers against his reactor. Steve moved closer to him, asking in a low voice, "something wrong with the reactor?"

"What?" Tony looked down at it, not having realized what he was doing. "No, no, just a nervous tick."

"We'll stop this," Steve whispered to him. "Next time Ultron shows his face, we'll stop him for good."

"This is a mess," Tony dropped his hand and let out a long sigh.

"Yeah. We've dealt with worse," Steve shrugged. "At least you're not wanted for murder anymore."

Tony groaned, "shit, I forgot about that. That was a nightmare. I'll make this right. I promise." Steve nodded, knowing that Tony would do everything in his power to stand by that promise.

"Somebody want to tell me what the hell's going on?!" Director Fury shouted from the doorway, making everyone jump. He scanned the workshop, glaring at the mess of mechanical parts.

"Fury of Nick!" Thor waved at him, "what brings you here?"

"I'm here because your presence was requested on the Helicarrier four hours ago and I just found out that this facility came under attack five hours ago. Somebody want to explain that to me?" Fury snapped.

Natasha reported, "the threat has been handled. For now. I'm sorry we did not get your call."

Fury grunted. The Avengers were shifting around, moving in front of Tony in order to hide him from view. Tony frowned at his teammates, not sure what they were trying to accomplish by doing that. Oh wait. They didn't know that Fury knew about him. They were trying to hide him from the director.

"Tony Stark, I feel like you have some explaining to do," Fury kicked what might have once been an earpiece. The round object bounced across the room and rolled under the tool cart. Fury sent Tony a death glare. Steve grabbed Tony's hand and gave it a squeeze. "Or Iron Man. Whatever the hell you go by these days."

"Wait. You know about Tony?" Natasha raised an eyebrow.

"Yes," Fury nodded. "I've known since 2008. Thanks to Agent Coulson."

"Jesus Christ, who else knew about you?" Clint frowned at Tony.

"I'm not answering that," Tony said.

"I want a full report and whatever bullshit happened today," Fury made a sweeping motion with his arms. "Later, though. For now, I suggest you all come with me. Like I said, your presence was requested four hours ago. Our ride is waiting for us on the landing pad." Fury jerked his thumb over his shoulder. The Avengers quickly made for the door. Fury was about to follow when he noticed that Tony hadn't moved. "You too."

Tony looked Fury dead in the eye. "Iron Man is compromised."

"You think I give a shit?" Fury scoffed. "We still need all the Avengers for this one. Get your ass in gear and get on that Quinjet."

Tony didn't hesitate to follow the director up the stairs.

The Quinjet took off as soon as everyone was on board. They had only been flying for about ten minutes before Steve heard the distinct tapping of Tony's fingers against his arc reactor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Steve, just ask Tony out again, you hopeless dumbass.)
> 
> Thank you for reading!  
> Let me know if you enjoyed, your comments keep me writing! :D


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